Static Electricity is described as the imbalance of positive and negative charges.

• A. Imbalance of Protons and Neutrons.
• B. Flow of Electrons Through a Conductor.
• C. Device to Measure Charge.
• D. Imbalance of Positive and Negative Charges.

Answer: (D)

Static electricity means a net electric charge on an object because there are more of one sign of charge than the other. In atoms, electrons are negative and protons are positive, but a neutral object has equal numbers of them, so no overall charge. When electrons are transferred or separated, an object can gain extra electrons and become negatively charged, or lose electrons and become positively charged. Those charges can stay in place until they discharge. That’s why this describes an imbalance of positive and negative charges.

It’s not about an imbalance of protons and neutrons, since neutrons carry no charge. It’s not the flow of electrons through a conductor, which describes current rather than a static buildup. And it’s not a device to measure charge, which is just a tool used to detect charge.