Question

Static electricity can be produced by______
A) Only induction
B) Only friction
C ) Only chemical reaction
D) Induction and friction

Answer 1

Hint: Static electricity is the buildup of charges on an object. It is caused by an imbalance between negative and positive charges on or within the surface of a material. Friction causes an electron to build upon the objects. Induction is a method of charging, which charges an object without actually touching the object to any other charged object.

Complete step-by-step solution:
Atoms are composed of subatomic particles known as electrons and protons. Electrons carry a negative charge, and protons carry a positive charge. The number of electrons in an atom is the same as the number of protons in the nucleus, we determine how the atom will link to other atoms to form molecules.
When two different objects come into close contact, for example, electrons may be transferred from one material to the other. And the material ends up with an excess of electrons and becomes negatively charged, while the other material ends up with a deficiency of electrons and becomes positively charged. This accumulation of imbalanced charges on objects results in static electricity.
Static electricity can be produced by rubbing one object against another object. Rubbing or friction causes an imbalance of electrons by transferring the electrons to other objects in contact. That is, rubbing releases negative charges or electrons, which can build upon one object to produce a static charge.
Similarly, Static electricity can be produced by induction. Here, a charged object is brought close to another object. These two objects do not touch each other. The charged object is held near an uncharged conductive material, which is grounded on a neutrally charged material. The charge flows between these objects and the uncharged conductive material build up a charge with opposite polarity. If the charged body has positive charges in it, negative charges will be induced in the other object, and vice versa.
Hence static electricity can be produced by induction and friction.
Hence, the answer is option D.

Note: Static electricity can build up in clouds and charges flow through the atmosphere to earth. It is the reason for lightning. A sudden flow of charges from one charged particle to another is called static discharge.