After walking across a carpeted floor in socks, Jim brings his finger near a metal doorknob and receives a shock.

Question

This demonstrates that
A.
electric forces require direct contact.
B.
frictional forces act at a distance.
C.
frictional forces require direct contact.
D.
electric forces can act at a distance.

Answer 1

The correct answer is D. electric forces can act at a distance.

In this scenario, Jim builds up static electricity by walking on the carpet, and when he brings his finger near the metal doorknob, he experiences a shock due to the electric field generated by the charge imbalance. This demonstrates that electric forces can indeed act at a distance without requiring direct contact.