Final answer:
When dealing with charged tapes, like charges repel and unlike charges attract; a negatively charged comb will attract paper due to static electricity. The greatest electrostatic force between split charges occurs when they are equal and at a fixed distance apart.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question requires an understanding of electrostatic principles to predict interactions between charged objects, specifically tapes and other items. According to the provided information, tapes with positive charge repel each other and tapes with negative charge attract each other. This means that if both tapes are positively charged or both are negatively charged, they will repel. If one tape has a positive charge and the other has a negative charge, they will attract.
In the experiment involving a comb and paper, running the comb through hair can transfer electrons, leaving the comb negatively charged. Hence, the small pieces of paper would be attracted to the comb, not repelled. A static charge occurs when there is an imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material. The charge remains until it is either discharged or neutralized.
Regarding the question about maximizing force by splitting a total charge, the greatest force is achieved when charges are split equally and the separation distance is fixed, due to the inverse-square law of electrostatic forces.