The picture shows a child sliding down a plastic slide.

Question

Which statement best describes why the child's hair stands up after he slides down the slide?

a
Energy was transferred from the child to the slide through conduction, causing the child's hair to become charged and stand up.
b
Energy was transferred from the slide to the child through induction, causing the child's hair to become charged and stand up.
c
Friction caused a transfer of electrons between the slide and the child, making his like-charged hairs attract the air through induction.
d
Friction caused a transfer of electrons between the slide and the child, making each of his like-charged hairs repel each other.

Answer 1

The statement that best describes why the child's hair stands up after he slides down the slide is:

d Friction caused a transfer of electrons between the slide and the child, making each of his like-charged hairs repel each other.

When the child slides down the plastic slide, friction causes electrons to be transferred from the slide to the child, resulting in the child acquiring an overall positive charge. The hair then becomes positively charged as well, and since like charges repel, the individual hairs repel each other, causing them to stand up.