Question

After you rub a plastic comb on a wool sweater, you can use the comb to pick up small pieces of paper. Why does the comb lose this ability after a few minutes?

A. The comb gains too much weight.
B. The comb loses its charge.
C. The comb becomes too sticky.
D. The comb becomes magnetized.

Answer 1

Rubbing a plastic comb on a wool sweater causes it to become charged with static electricity, attracting small pieces of paper. However, the comb loses its charge after a few minutes due to charge leakage and can no longer pick up the paper.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you rub a plastic comb on a wool sweater, the comb becomes charged with static electricity. Rubbing a plastic comb on a wool sweater causes it to become charged with static electricity, attracting small pieces of paper. However, the comb loses its charge after a few minutes due to charge leakage and can no longer pick up the paper.

This charge attracts small pieces of paper because the paper is neutral and is attracted to the charged comb. However, after a few minutes, the comb loses its charge due to a process called “charge leakage.”

The charges on the comb gradually dissipate into the air or transfer to other objects, causing the comb to lose its ability to pick up small pieces of paper.