Question

In an electric field, polar molecules align with the ______ toward the negative plate and the ______ toward the positive plate.

a) Positive end; negative end
b) Negative end; positive end
c) Protons; electrons
d) Electrons; protons

Answer 1

In an electric field, polar molecules align with their positive end facing the negative plate and their negative end facing the positive plate.

b) Negative end; positive end

Step-by-step explanation:

In an electric field, polar molecules align with the positive end toward the negative plate and the negative end toward the positive plate.

This is because the positive end of a polar molecule is attracted to the negative plate while the negative end is attracted to the positive plate, which is consistent with the behavior of polar molecules in an electric field. Thus, the correct answer to the student's question is: a) Positive end; negative end.

Polar molecules align with the positive end toward the negative plate and the negative end toward the positive plate in an electric field.