What happens when a negative charge is placed next to a positive charge?

When a negative charge is placed next to a positive charge, they will attract each other due to the fundamental principles of electrostatics. Opposite charges, such as negative and positive, create an attractive force between them, which is a key concept in understanding electric fields and forces. The attraction occurs because the negative charge has an excess of electrons, while the positive charge has a deficiency of electrons. This interaction leads to a tendency for the two charges to move closer together, resulting in an attractive force.

The nature of this attraction is strong and is based on the law of electrostatics, which states that unlike charges attract and like charges repel. Therefore, in this context, the presence of the negative charge next to the positive charge results in them pulling towards each other, leading to the conclusion that they will indeed attract each other.