Chapter 18 Electric Forces and Electric Fields 18.1 The Origin of Electricity The electrical nature of matter is inherent in atomic structure. coulombs 18.1 The Origin of Electricity In nature, atoms are normally found with equal numbers of protons and electrons, so they are electrically neutral. By adding or removing electrons from matter it will acquire a net electric charge with magnitude equal to e times the number of electrons added or removed, N. 18.1 The Origin of Electricity Example 1 A Lot of Electrons How many electrons are there in one coulomb of negative charge? 18.2 Charged Objects and the Electric Force It is possible to transfer electric charge from one object to another. The body that loses electrons has an excess of positive charge, while