Question

James combs his hair and brings the comb near some tiny pieces of paper. He finds that the comb is attracting the pieces of paper. Which force is responsible for the attraction?

• A. Magnetic force
• B. Gravitational force
• C. Nuclear force
• D. Electrostatic force

Answer 1

The correct option is D Electrostatic force

When James combs his hair, the comb gets charged as a result of its friction with his hair. It acquires a negative charge.

The bits of paper are electrically neutral. Also, the paper is not a conductor, that is, the charges within it are not free to move about as a current. But when the comb is brought close to the pieces, the negative charges have enough mobility that they are repelled by the comb.

This leaves a net positive charge on parts of the paper bits nearest to comb and the comb attracts the paper bits, which fly up and stick to the comb.