Which statement best describes static electricity as presented?

Which statement best describes static electricity as presented?

• A. Photons are used to produce electricity from light
• B. Direct current is bidirectional
• C. Friction can demonstrate static charge
• D. The smallest part of a compound is a molecular unit

Answer: (C)

Static electricity involves electric charges at rest on objects. When two materials are rubbed together, electrons can transfer from one surface to the other, leaving one object negatively charged and the other positively charged. This buildup of charge is what you observe when friction is used to demonstrate static electricity—things cling, sparks can jump, and nearby objects are attracted or repelled. So explaining static electricity through friction directly shows how charges accumulate and stay in place after contact. The other statements describe solar energy conversion, direct current behavior, and chemical structure—topics that aren’t about charges at rest, so they don’t describe static electricity.

Static electricity involves electric charges at rest on objects. When two materials are rubbed together, electrons can transfer from one surface to the other, leaving one object negatively charged and the other positively charged. This buildup of charge is what you observe when friction is used to demonstrate static electricity—things cling, sparks can jump, and nearby objects are attracted or repelled. So explaining static electricity through friction directly shows how charges accumulate and stay in place after contact. The other statements describe solar energy conversion, direct current behavior, and chemical structure—topics that aren’t about charges at rest, so they don’t describe static electricity.