In basic electrostatics, consider the statement “Electric charges that are different attract each other.” How should this statement be classified according to the behaviour of electric charges?

Introduction / Context:
One of the very first rules students learn in electrostatics is how electric charges interact. This rule is often stated in simple language as like charges repel and unlike charges attract. It summarises how positive and negative charges behave when placed near each other. The question presents a statement about different electric charges attracting each other and asks you to judge whether this description is correct. Understanding this rule is foundational for explaining electric fields, bonding, and many everyday electrical phenomena.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• We are dealing with electric charges, such as positive and negative charges. • The phrase different charges refers to charges of opposite sign. • The statement claims that such different charges attract each other. • Standard Coulomb law behaviour is assumed without unusual conditions.

Concept / Approach:
Coulomb law states that the force between two point charges is attractive if the charges have opposite signs and repulsive if they have the same sign. In simple words, unlike charges attract and like charges repel. For example, a positive charge attracts a negative charge, and two positive charges repel each other. The given statement says electric charges that are different attract each other, which matches the idea that a positive and a negative charge will experience a mutual attraction. Therefore, the statement is correct according to basic electrostatics, and we should select the option that clearly classifies it as correct.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Interpret different charges as charges with different signs, such as positive and negative. Step 2: Recall the rule that like charges repel and unlike charges attract. Step 3: Apply this rule to a pair of charges with opposite signs, for example, plus q and minus q. Step 4: According to Coulomb law, the force between them is attractive, pulling them toward each other. Step 5: Compare this with the wording of the given statement, which says different charges attract. Step 6: Conclude that the statement agrees with the basic rule, so it is correct.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this using simple experiments. For instance, if you charge a plastic rod negatively and bring it near a positively charged object, you will observe attraction. Theoretical calculations using Coulomb law also show that the force F between charges q1 and q2 is negative, indicating attraction, when the product q1 * q2 is negative, meaning the charges are of opposite sign. Textbooks consistently present diagrams where opposite charges move toward each other. There is no standard situation in which unlike charges consistently repel at normal distances in classical electrostatics, confirming that the statement is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B claims that unlike charges always repel, which directly contradicts Coulomb law and experimental evidence. Option C says the statement is correct only for magnetic poles, but although magnetic poles obey a similar rule, the question is specifically about electric charges and the rule still holds. Option D suggests that the statement is correct only in a vacuum, but unlike charges attract in air, water, and many other media, although the strength of the force can change. Therefore, limiting it to a vacuum is unnecessary and misleading.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students confuse the behaviour of electric charges with other phenomena, such as magnetic poles or gravitational forces, and may misremember the rule. Another pitfall is to overcomplicate the idea by thinking about induced charges or polarisation, which can create attractions in more complex ways, but the basic rule about opposite charges still holds. It is best to remember the simple phrase like charges repel, unlike charges attract and use it as a guiding principle whenever you meet basic electrostatics questions.

Final Answer:
The correct choice is Correct, because unlike electric charges attract each other, since the fundamental electrostatic rule states that charges of opposite sign experience an attractive force between them.