Electrostatics concept check: When two positively charged materials are brought close together, what interaction occurs between them?

Introduction / Context:
Electrostatic forces are fundamental to understanding charge behavior in insulators, capacitors, and dielectric phenomena. The interaction between like and unlike charges explains many practical effects, from static cling to the operation of electrostatic precipitators.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Two objects each carry a net positive charge.
• They are placed close to one another with no conductive path to share charge.

Concept / Approach:
The basic electrostatic law states: like charges repel, unlike charges attract. The force magnitude follows Coulomb's law (inversely proportional to distance squared), but for this conceptual question the direction (repulsion vs attraction) is key.

Step-by-Step Reasoning:

Verification / Alternative check:
In experiments with pith balls or electroscopes, giving both bodies a positive charge causes visible separation due to repulsive electrostatic forces. This is a standard demonstration in physics labs.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Attract: Only opposite charges attract.
• Become neutral / become negative: Without a charge exchange path, their charges do not spontaneously change sign or cancel.

Common Pitfalls:

• Forgetting that induced charges can cause attraction in nearby neutrals; but between two already positive bodies, the net interaction is repulsive.

Final Answer:
repel