When a plastic rod is rubbed with a wool cloth, the wool acquires a positive charge. What is the best explanation for this effect?

Question

When a plastic rod is rubbed with a wool cloth, the wool acquires a positive charge. What is the best explanation for this effect?

a
protons are transferred to the rod
b
electrons are transferred to the rod
c
protons are transferred to the cloth
d
electrons are transferred to the cloth

Answer 1

The best explanation for this effect is (d) electrons are transferred to the cloth. When the plastic rod is rubbed with a wool cloth, electrons from the rod are transferred to the cloth, leaving the rod with a positive charge and the cloth with a negative charge. This is known as the triboelectric effect, and it occurs due to the different electron affinity of the two materials.