Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

According to the law of charges, what happens between like and unlike charges?

1. Like charges attract and unlike charges repel

2. Like charges repel and unlike charges attract

3. All charges repel

4. None of the above

The correct answer is: Like charges repel and unlike charges attract

The correct understanding of the law of charges states that like charges repel each other, whereas unlike charges attract each other. This principle is fundamental in electrostatics and is based on the nature of electric forces. When two objects have the same type of charge (both positive or both negative), they exert a force on each other that pushes them apart. On the other hand, when two objects have opposite charges (one positive and one negative), they exert an attractive force on each other, pulling them closer together. This interaction is essential in understanding a variety of physical phenomena, such as how atoms bond in chemistry. The other perspectives presented in the options do not accurately convey these relationships defined by the law of charges.