A student holds two positively charged balloons near each other. She claims that magnetic forces exist between the balloons. What will happen that will support the student's claim?

Question

a
The balloons will attract each other.
b
The balloons will remain steady.
c
The balloons will become neutral.
d
The balloons will repel each other.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

d. The balloons will repel each other.

Since both balloons are positively charged, they will repel each other due to the electrostatic force between like charges. This behavior is consistent with the principles of electrostatics rather than magnetism, as magnetic forces are not involved in this scenario. However, if the student claims that magnetic forces are present, the observation of the balloons repelling each other could be misinterpreted as a demonstration of some kind of force, even though it is actually the result of electrostatic repulsion. In a strict sense, there are no magnetic forces at play here.