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Charge It UpEverything has a charge. Even neutral charges have a charge value of zero. When you examine an atom, the nucleus holds the positive charge. That's because the nucleus holds the protons for the atom. Protons have a positive charge. The electrons that orbit the nucleus balance out that positive charge. Each electron holds on to one negative charge. Those positive and negative charges are the heart and soul of electricity.
Positive and NegativeWhen scientists talk about charged objects in electricity, they mean there are either too many or too few electrons for one atom. If there are not enough electrons, there are more protons and a positive charge develops. If there are too many electrons, the atom has a negative charge. When an atom has a charge, scientists use the word ion.Some elements become ions easier than others do. As you learn more chemistry, you will study the periodic table of elements and see how elements on the sides quickly ionize and bond with other elements. Sodium chloride (NaCl) is a classic example of a compound made with ionic bonds. When placed in water, the crystals dissolve, and ions of each element are in the solution. Sodium exists as positively charged sodium ions (Na+). Chlorine exists as negatively charged chlorine ions (Cl-). A sodium chloride solution can conduct electricity because of those ions. 
Static ChargesHave you ever had a science lab where you rub fur on glass rods, or try to make static cling? When you do that rubbing, you are actually rubbing electrons off one object and onto another. It's called static electricity because the electrons just sit after they have been moved. No current is flowing. The electrons are static and unmoving.The study of electricity where the charges are not flowing is called electrostatics. There is usually an excess of positive charges on one side, and an excess of negative of the other side. If you connect the two with a conductor, the charges can flow from one side to the other. When that flow happens, you create a small current. 
Force of ChargesPhysicists use the term electric forces to describe how much the positive charges pull on the negative charges. Negative charges are too small to pull a positively charged particle. Electrons are super tiny compared to protons. That's why electrons do the flowing. The electric forces are much stronger when electrons are closer to the positive charge. The further apart the two charges are, the weaker the electric forces.
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