Gillian is investigating the distribution of charge in objects using friction. Gillian gently rubs a rubber balloon on the fur of her pet cat. When she pulls the balloon away from the cat's fur, the fur is attracted to the balloon. Which BEST explains why the fur becomes attracted to the balloon?

Question

a
Rubbing the balloon along the cat creates extra electrons that will stick to both the balloon and cat.
b
Rubbing the balloon along the cat transfers extra electrons from the cat to the balloon.
c
Rubbing the balloon along the cat transfers extra protons from the balloon to the cat.
d
Rubbing the balloon along the cat creates extra protons that will stick to both the balloon and cat.

Answer 1

The best explanation for why the fur becomes attracted to the balloon after Gillian rubs the balloon on her cat's fur is:

b. Rubbing the balloon along the cat transfers extra electrons from the cat to the balloon.

This process is known as triboelectric charging, where rubbing the two materials against each other causes a transfer of electrons. The balloon, having gained extra electrons, becomes negatively charged, while the cat's fur loses electrons and becomes positively charged. The attraction occurs because opposite charges attract.