The correct explanation for why the water's path changed when the charged comb was brought near it is:
Due to induction, the charged comb attracted the neutrally charged water.
Here's the reasoning behind this:
- When the student combed his hair, the comb likely became charged through the process of triboelectric charging (friction).
- When a charged object (the comb) is brought near a neutral object (the water), the electric field of the charged comb induces a separation of charges in the neutral object.
- In the case of water, which is a polar molecule, the side of the water molecules closest to the charged comb will experience a slight positive charge (due to the attraction of the negative side of the water molecule towards the positively charged comb). This leads to a polarization where the water molecules are attracted to the charged comb.
- As a result, the water's path appears to change towards the comb.
Therefore, the correct option is that the charged comb attracted the neutrally charged water due to the process of induction.