Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Static Electricity
Static electricity is the accumulation of electric charge on the surface of objects. It occurs when materials are rubbed together, causing electrons to transfer from one material to another, leading to an imbalance of charges. This phenomenon is responsible for the attraction or repulsion between clothes when they are removed from the dryer.
Recommended video:
Galvanic Cell (Simplified) Example 1
Electrostatic Charges
Electrostatic charges can be either positive or negative, depending on whether an object has lost or gained electrons. In the context of laundry, clothes often acquire a negative charge due to friction in the dryer, causing them to repel or attract each other based on their respective charges. This interaction can lead to clothes clinging together.
Recommended video:
Periodic Table: Transition Metals Charges Concept 1
Friction and Charge Transfer
Friction is a force that opposes motion between two surfaces in contact, and it plays a crucial role in charge transfer. When clothes rub against each other in the dryer, friction causes electrons to move, resulting in one fabric becoming positively charged and the other negatively charged. This charge imbalance is what leads to the clinging effect observed after drying.
Recommended video:
Periodic Table: Transition Metals Charges Concept 1