Final answer:
Scientists believe there are only two kinds of electric charge because all charge interactions can be explained using two charges, like charges repel and opposite charges attract. The force between charges decreases with distance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The universal belief among scientists that there are only two kinds of electric charge is based on several reasons:
- All charge interactions can be explained using only two charges, positive and negative. When various materials are rubbed together, they always result in a net charge of one type on one material and the opposite type on the other. Like charges repel each other, while opposite charges attract.
- A charge that is attracted to one type of charge is always repelled by the other type. This observation supports the existence of only two types of charge.
- All electrical phenomena can be accounted for on the basis of only two charges. The force between charges follows Coulomb's Law, which states that the force between charges decreases with the square of the distance.