Question

Can a piece of adhesive tape hold an electric charge? If so, will the charge be positive or negative? Can a predication be made of which material will be positive and which negative if any two insulators are rubbed together?

Answer 1

Yes the peice of adhesive tape hold an electric charge.

You can see this electric charge effect with a piece of Adhesive tape or similar tape. First verify that it is not attracted to your finger. Then stick it to some surface and then pull it off. Put you finger near the tape and it will now be attracted to your finger, showing that there is an excess of charges on the tape.

Despite their small size, protons and electrons carry an electrical charge. Protons carry a "positive" charge, while electrons carry a "negative" energy charge.

Usually, the two different charges balance each other out, and nothing happens. But when two objects with like charges (all positive or all negative) come together, the charges repel and the objects move away from each other. Objects with opposite charges attract each other because the different charges want to enter a state of balance with each other.

Under the "electron fluid" model electrons flow from one piece of tape to the other while they are being pulled apart. The tape with more "electron fluid" at the end is negatively charged. The piece that lost the "fluid" is positively charged.

If two materials are rubbed,which material molecules have a stronger attraction for electrons than the molecules in other material, that material will be negatively charged and other will be positively.

Hope it will help you. If you have any furthur concerns then you can ask me anytime :) .