you observe that a negatively charged plastic pen repels a charged piece of magic tape. you then observe that the same piece of tape is repelled when brought near a metal sphere. you are wearing rubber soled shoes, and you touch the metal sphere with your hand. after you touch the metal sphere, you observe that the tape is attracted to the metal sphere. which of the following statements could be true? check all that apply.

The situation involves electrostatic interactions and charge transfer involving a negatively charged plastic pen, a charged piece of magic tape, and a metal sphere that was touched by a person wearing rubber-soled shoes. Let's break down the key points:

1. Initially, the negatively charged pen repels the charged piece of tape. Then the tape is also repelled by the metal sphere, implying the metal sphere carries a similar charge to the tape.
2. When the person wearing rubber-soled shoes touches the metal sphere, the tape then becomes attracted to the metal sphere.

To explain the attraction after touching the sphere:

• The metal sphere is conductive, so when touched by a person, charges can flow.
• The rubber-soled shoes insulate the person from the earth (ground), so the person and sphere form a system isolated from the ground.
• Touching the sphere with the hand could cause electrons to move from or to the metal sphere through the person's body, altering the sphere's charge.
• The metal sphere's charge could become neutral or positively charged after the person transfers some charge.
• This neutral or positive charge on the sphere then attracts the negatively charged tape.

Possible true statements based on this scenario are:

• Electrons from the sphere traveled through your body into the Earth. (No, because rubber soles insulate you from the Earth.)
• The excess negative charge from the sphere spread out all over your body. (Yes, charges can spread over the body.)
• Electrons from your hand moved onto the sphere. (Unlikely if the sphere was negatively charged before touch.)
• Sodium or chloride ions from salt water on your hand moved onto the sphere. (Possible in the presence of salt water, ions can transfer.)
• After you touched it, the metal sphere was very nearly neutral. (Very likely if the charge dissipated on the person's body.)

Since you are insulated from the Earth by rubber soles, charge cannot flow directly to Earth, but may redistribute over your body, neutralizing the sphere's charge. This explanation matches typical physics of conductors, charge transfer, and insulators in electrostatics.