Final answer:
Charge transfer and electron transfer involve the movement of charge, but while charge transfer can be a more general concept of moving charge between objects, electron transfer specifically refers to the movement of electrons in redox reactions and ionic bonding, with oxidation involving loss of electrons and reduction involving gain of electrons.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between charge transfer and electron transfer relates to the movement of charge and the concept of oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions. When dealing with the transfer and separation of charge, the key point is that the negative charge, which is associated with electrons, is more mobile than the positive charge, which is associated with protons.
Therefore, electrons can be transferred more easily from one object to another, leaving an excess of positive charge behind. This can happen through contact, as when you walk across a carpet and then touch a doorknob, transferring some of this excess charge.
Oxidation-reduction (or redox) reactions illustrate electron transfer through the processes of oxidation, where there is a complete loss of electrons, and reduction, where there is a complete gain of electrons. Ionic bonds are an example of electron transfer where an electron moves from one atom to another, creating ions, while covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons rather than their transfer.
When addressing the relationship between the total charges of two objects before and after the transfer, it is important to understand that charge is conserved and is neither created nor destroyed. Charge is quantized in units of the charge of an electron, 1.6 × 10-19 coulombs (C), and electric charge can only be transferred between two objects.