A student plans an investigation to determine whether an object has a positive charge, a negative charge, or is electrically neu
tral. Which statements describe procedures and the expected results that the student should follow? A)
Bring a pith ball that has a negative charge near the object. If the ball is repelled, the object is electrically neutral.
B)
Bring a pith ball that has a positive charge near the object. If the ball is repelled, the object has a positive charge.
C)
Bring a pith ball that has a negative charge near the object. If the ball is attracted, the object has a positive charge.
D)
Bring a pith ball that has a positive charge near the object. If the ball is attracted, the object is electrically neutral.
E)
Bring a pith ball that has a negative charge near the object. If the ball is repelled, the object is electrically neutral.
F)
Bring a pith ball that has a positive charge near the object. If the ball is attracted, the object has a negative charge.
The number of electrons that surround the nucleus will determine whether or not an atom is electrically charged or electrically neutral. The amount of charge on a single proton is equal to the amount of charge possessed by a single electron. A proton and an electron have an equal amount but an opposite type of charge. Thus, if an atom contains equal numbers of protons and electrons, the atom is described as being electrically neutral. On the other hand, if an atom has an unequal number of protons and electrons, then the atom is electrically charged (and in fact, is then referred to as an ion rather than an atom). Any particle, whether an atom, molecule or ion, that contains less electrons than protons is said to be positively charged. Conversely, any particle that contains more electrons than protons is said to be negatively charged
