Question

During a physics lab, a plastic strip was rubbed with cotton and became positively charged. The correct explanation for why the plastic strip becomes positively charged is that

• A. the plastic strip acquired extra protons from the cotton.
• B. the plastic strip acquired extra protons during the charging process.
• C. protons were created as the result of the charging process.
• D. the plastic strip lost electrons to the cotton during the charging process.

Answer 1

The correct option is D the plastic strip lost electrons to the cotton during the charging process.

Plastic strip when rubbed with cotton got charged due to charging by friction.
The plastic strip and cotton acquires opposite charges. This is because plastic strip acquires positive charges and loses electrons to cotton during the process, and therefore cotton acquires the negative charge.