Static Electricity - Mission SE2 Detailed Help


Balloons X , Y and Z are suspended from strings as shown below. Both balloons Y and Z are neutral. Both balloons Y and Z attract balloon X. Balloon X ____. List all that apply in alphabetical order with no spaces between letters.


 
Charge Interactions
Charged objects show a noticeable interaction with other surrounding objects. The cause of the interaction can be summarized by one of the following three statements:
  • Oppositely charged objects attract each other.
  • Like-charged objects repel each other.
  • Any charged object - whether positive or negative - will attract a neutral object.


 
This question focuses on balloon X and its attraction with two neutral objects - Y and Z. The three different types of charge interactions are discussed in the Know the Law section. Observe that there are two ways by which two objects can attract. One of the reasons for an observed attraction is that one object is neutral and the other object is charged. Since balloon X attracts a neutral object, balloon X must be charged. Of course, you don't know if it charged with a positive or a negative type of charge.