Final answer:
The correct answer is B) balloon B is charged and balloon A is neutral. This is because neutral objects can be attracted to charged objects, implying that if one balloon is hanging and is attracted to another, it suggests that the hanging balloon is neutral and the other is charged.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the scenario where two balloons exhibit different behaviors—one hanging straight down and the other being attracted to the first balloon—it suggests that there are electric charges involved. When one balloon is attracted to another, it can be because one of the balloons is charged and the other one might be neutral, or it may also be the case that both balloons are charged with opposite types of charges causing attraction. If a negatively charged balloon repels another charged balloon and attracts a neutral object, then we know that like charges repel and opposite charges or a charged object and a neutral object attract. Considering that information, it's likely that balloon A, the hanging one, is neutral, and balloon B is charged, since neutral objects can be attracted to charged objects due to induced polarization. So, in the student's question, the correct answer would be B) balloon B is charged and balloon A is neutral.