Charge, Bound

A charge of electricity borne by the surface of a body so situated with reference to another oppositely charged body, that the charge is imperceptible to ordinary test, will not affect an electroscope nor leave the surface if the latter is connected to the earth. To discharge such a body it must be connected to its complimentarily charged body. The bound charge was formerly called di imulated or latent electricity. (See Charge, Free.) The charge or portion of a charge of a surface which is neutralized inductively by a neighboring charge of opposite kind. The degree of neutralization or of binding will depend on the distance of the two charged surfaces from one another and on the electro-static nature of the medium intervening, which must of nece ity be a dielectric. A charge not so held or neutralized is termed a free charge. Thus a surface may be charged and by the approach of a surface le highly charged may have part of its charge bound. Then if connected to earth. it will part with its unbound or free charge, but will retain the other until the binding surface is removed, or until the electricity of such surface is itself bound, or discharged, or until connection is made between the two surfaces. Thus a body may have both a bound and a free charge at the same time.