A student pulls a plastic comb through her hair on a dry day. Afterward, her hair is attracted to the comb. Which of the following occurs when the comb passes through the hair?A.Total charge is conserved, and no charges are transferred between the hair and the comb.B.The comb gains electrons and the hair becomes positively charged.C.The comb gains electrons and the hair becomes negatively charged.D.Both the comb and hair become positively charged.
Question
A student pulls a plastic comb through her hair on a dry day. Afterward, her hair is attracted to the comb. Which of the following occurs when the comb passes through the hair?A.Total charge is conserved, and no charges are transferred between the hair and the comb.B.The comb gains electrons and the hair becomes positively charged.C.The comb gains electrons and the hair becomes negatively charged.D.Both the comb and hair become positively charged.
Solution
The correct answer is B. The comb gains electrons and the hair becomes positively charged.
Here's the step by step explanation:
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When the plastic comb is pulled through the hair, it causes friction between the comb and the hair.
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This friction causes a transfer of electrons from the hair to the comb. This is due to the triboelectric effect, where certain materials become electrically charged after they come into frictional contact with a different material.
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Electrons are negatively charged. So, when the comb gains electrons, it becomes negatively charged.
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Conversely, the hair loses electrons and becomes positively charged (since it has more protons, which are positively charged, than electrons).
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Afterward, the positively charged hair is attracted to the negatively charged comb. This is because opposite charges attract each other.
So, the statement "The comb gains electrons and the hair becomes positively charged" is correct.
Similar Questions
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