If a body is charged by rubbing it , its weight

Options

A. remains precisely constant
B. increases slightly
C. decreases slightly
D. may increase slightly or may decrease slightly.

Answer

To solve the question regarding the effect on the weight of a body when it is charged by rubbing, we can analyze the situation step by step.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Charging by Rubbing**: When two bodies are rubbed together, electrons are transferred from one body to another. This process is known as triboelectric charging.

2. **Electron Transfer**: Depending on the materials involved, electrons may either leave the first body (making it positively charged) or be added to the first body (making it negatively charged).

3. **Weight Consideration**: The weight of an object is the force exerted on it due to gravity, which is the product of its mass and the acceleration due to gravity (W = m * g). When electrons are transferred:
- If electrons leave the body, it loses mass (since electrons have a very small mass), and thus its weight slightly decreases.
- If electrons are added to the body, it gains mass, leading to a slight increase in weight.

4. **Magnitude of Change**: The mass of an electron is approximately \(9.11 \times 10^{-31}\) kg. Given the extremely small mass of electrons, the change in weight due to charging is very slight, regardless of whether the weight increases or decreases.

5. **Conclusion**: Since the body can either lose or gain electrons depending on the materials used, the weight of the body can either increase slightly or decrease slightly. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is that the weight may increase slightly or may decrease slightly.

### Final Answer:
The weight of the body may increase slightly or may decrease slightly.

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