A teacher tells her students that the space around a charged particle will exert a force on any other charged particle that is placed within this space. She places an object between two charged metal plates, one plate that is positively charged and one plate that is negatively charged. Which argument BEST supports what will happen?

Question

options:

An object with a negative charge will remain stationary between the plates.
An object with a negative charge will remain stationary between the plates.

A neutrally-charged object will move toward the negative plate.
A neutrally-charged object will move toward the negative plate.

An object with a positive charge will move toward the negative plate.
An object with a positive charge will move toward the negative plate.

A neutrally-charged object will move toward the positive plate.

Answer 1

The argument that BEST supports what will happen is:

An object with a positive charge will move toward the negative plate.

This is because charged plates create an electric field between them. A positively charged object will experience a force due to this electric field that directs it toward the negatively charged plate (since opposite charges attract), causing the positively charged object to move toward the negative plate.

The other options either incorrectly suggest movement for neutrally charged objects or repeat the same statement, which does not provide a valid basis for the behavior in the electric field created by the charged plates.