Ike is conducting a scientific experiment involving clear adhesive tape.

Question

He completes each of the following steps:
He removes two strips of tape from the roll.
He presses each strip of tape, sticky-side down, on a plastic surface.
He quickly removes each strip of tape from the plastic surface.
Ike's teacher tells him that this process has caused each strip of tape to gain a negative electric charge. What could Ike do next to demonstrate that the negative charge of each strip has generated an electric field?
A.
see if the strips respond to the force of gravity when dropped from a height
B.
see if the strips will stick together when the sticky sides are pressed together
C.
see if one of the strips is longer or more massive than the other
D.
see if the strips repel each other when brought close together

Answer 1

To demonstrate that the negative charge of each strip of tape has generated an electric field, Ike should choose option D: see if the strips repel each other when brought close together.

When two objects have the same type of charge (in this case, both strips of tape are negatively charged), they will repel each other due to the electric field generated by their charges. This is a clear demonstration of the electric field's effects. The other options do not directly demonstrate the phenomenon of electric charge and electric fields.