What is static electricity?

• A. When two identical materials come in contact and then are separated, creating a magnetic force.
• B. When two different materials come in contact and then are separated, creating a voltage potential that can be discharged.
• C. A steady current flowing through a conductor.
• D. A spark produced by lightning.

Answer: (B)

Static electricity is the buildup of electric charge on surfaces that occurs when two different materials touch and then separate. When dissimilar materials come into contact, electrons can transfer from one to the other, and as they pull apart, each object ends up with opposite charges. This creates a voltage difference, a potential for discharge, which is the spark or crackling you might observe when the charged objects are brought near or connected. The option described fits this idea: contact between different materials followed by separation creates a voltage that can be discharged. A claim about magnetic force isn’t how static electricity works, and identical materials don’t typically accumulate a charge from contact. A steady current is about continuous flow, not stored static charge, and a lightning spark is just one example of a discharge, not the definition of static electricity itself.