Enrico Says That Positive Charge Is Created When You Rub

question 58

Multiple Choice

Enrico says that positive charge is created when you rub a glass rod with silk, and that negative charge is simply the absence of positive charge. Rosetta says that negative charge is created and that positive charge is the absence of positive charge. (She has heard that Ben Franklin should have reversed the signs he associated with the charges.) Which one, if either, is correct?

• A) Enrico, because there really is only one kind of charge.
• B) Rosetta, because there really is only one kind of charge.
• C) Neither: although no charge is present originally, both types of charge are created through friction.
• D) Both: only one type of charge is created by friction at any one time.
• E) Neither: both negative and positive charge are present simultaneously in all solid materials on Earth and the process described involves a transfer of charge, not the creation of charge.

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Definitions:

Bipedal Walking

The ability to walk upright on two legs, a characteristic feature of humans and their ancestors that distinguishes them from other primates.

Phalanges

Bones in the fingers or toes.

Mineral

In the diet, an element that is required in small amounts for normal metabolism.

Bones

Hard, dense connective tissue that forms the structural elements of the skeleton in vertebrates, providing support and protection.