What is Static Electricity and How Does it Work?

Why did the plastic strip become positively charged after being rubbed with a cotton cloth?

A. The plastic strip gained protons from the cotton.

B. The plastic strip lost protons to the cotton.

C. The plastic strip gained electrons from the cotton.

D. The plastic strip lost electrons to the cotton.

Answer:

The answer would be D. When the plastic strip and cloth are rubbed together, there is a transfer of electrons from the plastic strip to the cloth. This leaves the plastic strip positively charged as it lost electrons, while the cloth becomes negatively charged.

Static electricity is the phenomenon by which a surface accumulates some extra amount of electric charge due to the rubbing of one surface over the other.

In the given case, when the cotton cloth is rubbed against the plastic strip, the plastic strip loses some electrons. Electrons are negatively charged entities, so the loss of electrons results in the plastic strip acquiring a net positive charge on its surface. The electrons lost by the plastic strip are then gained by the cotton, causing it to acquire a negative charge on its surface.

The positive charge on the surface of the plastic strip is due to the presence of more protons than electrons. Therefore, the plastic strip becomes positively charged because it has lost some electrons that are gained by the cotton.