Attraction and Repulsion of Electric Charges
Attraction and Repulsion of Electric Charges
When materials are charged with static electricity, they behave in a different manner. For instance, if you place a positively charged ball near one which is negatively charged, the balls will attract each other. If the charges are great enough and the balls are light and free enough to move, they will come into contact. Whether they are free to move or not, a force of attraction always exists between unlike charges.
If you bring two materials of opposite charges together, the excess electrons of the negative charge will transfer to the material having a lack of electrons. This transfer or crossing over of electrons from a negative to a positive charge is called discharge, and by definition represents a current flow.
Using two balls with the same type of charge, either positive or negative, you will find that they repel each other.