Question

Choose the best explanation from among the following:_________.

1. Charge is conserved, and therefore the mass of the object will remain the same.
2. A positive charge increases an object's mass; a negative charge decreases its mass.
3. To give the object a negative charge we must give it more electrons, and this will increase its mass.

Answer 1

Answer: 3. To give the object a negative charge we must give it more electrons, and this will increase its mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

Suppose we have an object and we negatively charge it.

Then we are "adding" N electrons to the object.

Remember that the mass of an electron is:

m = 9.11*10^(-31) kg

Then if we add N electrons to an object of mass M, the new mass of the object will be:

Mass = M + N*9.11*10^(-31) kg

So we will have an (almost negligible) increase of the mass of the object.

(Something similar can happen if the object is positively charged, where we remove electrons, then the mass of the object decreases)

Then the correct option is:

3. To give the object a negative charge we must give it more electrons, and this will increase its mass.