Final answer:
The negative terminal of a battery has an excess of negative charge and these electrons are attracted to the positive terminal but cannot travel there without a circuit. The correct answer is A. The negative charge is attracted to the opposite charge in the positive terminal but cannot get there.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering what happens at a battery's negative terminal when it is not part of a circuit, we can refer to the function of batteries in electrical systems. A battery, through the chemical processes within, separates charges so that the negative terminal has an excess of negative charge. This negative charge consists of electrons that are repelled by the negative terminal because like charges repel each other. These electrons are simultaneously attracted to the positive terminal, which has an excess of positive charge.
As per the given scenarios and explanations, when a battery is not connected to a circuit, there is no complete path for the electrons to travel to the positive terminal. However, the electrons are still present at the negative terminal and are influenced by the electric potential difference between the terminals. They are not capable of moving across the battery to the positive terminal without an external conductor, like a wire, connecting the two terminals.
Therefore, the most accurate answer to the question is A. The negative charge is attracted to the opposite charge in the positive terminal but cannot get there because there isn't a conductive path when the battery is not part of a circuit.