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On bigger bodies, I've learnt so far that charge is caused by a lack or excess of electrons or protons but when you look at an electron or proton, how are they charged? what is the cause of their charge?

If "charge" cannot be given a cause for particles such as electrons or protons, any plausible theories related to this cause are also welcome, if there are any.

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    $\begingroup$ Physics does not answer such questions. In the theoretical description of experimental observed phenomena, we see that the concept of (electrical) charge is very useful. In this mathematical description, we associate to some particles, e.g. an electron, the property "charged". This is similar to the concept of mass. What these concepts "are", to what extend they are "real" and what is their "cause" is, is not in the scope of physics. $\endgroup$
    – Tobias Fünke
    Commented Jul 1 at 13:28
  • $\begingroup$ so, if i'm getting this right, these particles give the property of charge to something like a metal or bigger atoms or molecules by just being themselves, but when they are taken individually, they show no such thing as "charge" because on a relatively larger scale, they themselves are the cause of it? $\endgroup$
    – shriekspeare
    Commented Jul 1 at 14:47
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    $\begingroup$ ah so no "cause" as such but it's a property for both the bigger object (due to the particles which make it up) and the particle as well $\endgroup$
    – shriekspeare
    Commented Jul 1 at 15:11
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    $\begingroup$ @TobiasFünke I also do not fully agree with this picture as there may be a theory where the cause for charge can be fully derived from a mathematical consistency equation along the lines of the limitation of open strings to theories with self-dual lattices heavily restricting the symmetries and thus possible charges (in unitary irreps of these symmetries). Though one may then of course ask why the our universe should adhere to a description based on these objects. $\endgroup$
    – Thomas Tappeiner
    Commented Jul 1 at 15:56
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    $\begingroup$ ‘ just we don't know for sure yet’ No, just ‘we don’t know’. We also don’t know any experiment at present to investigate this question. $\endgroup$
    – my2cts
    Commented Jul 1 at 17:56

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Electric charge is a fundamental physical property of matter, like mass is a fundamental physical property of matter. Fundamental may be defined as "affecting or relating to the essential nature of something". To ask what is the cause of charge on matter is like asking what is the cause of the mass of matter. I suppose the answer would be, we don't know, at least yet.

On bigger bodies, I've learnt so far that charge is caused by a lack or excess of electrons or protons

What you are describing is net charge. Even if the net charge is zero, there is still a quantity of positive charge (number of protons) and negative charge (number of electrons) on a body. The basic unit of charge is the Coulomb which is the charge of 6.25 x 10$^{18}$ electrons or protons.

Hope this helps.

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  • $\begingroup$ thanks for clarifying! this and the comments gave me more clarity on how we don't know the cause for this stuff yet $\endgroup$
    – shriekspeare
    Commented Jul 1 at 17:18

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