Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field. It exists in two types: positive and negative, with like charges repelling each other and opposite charges attracting. This interaction is the basis for many physical phenomena, including electricity and magnetism. The unit of electric charge is the coulomb, named after Charles-Augustin de Coulomb, who studied the forces between charged objects. Electric charge is conserved, meaning the total charge in an isolated system remains constant. Understanding electric charge is essential for fields such as electronics, chemistry, and engineering.