Approximately how many years ago were the effects of static electricity noticed?

• A. 1000 years
• B. 1500 years
• C. 2500 years
• D. 3500 years

Answer: (C)

Observing static electricity has ancient roots. The earliest well-attested notes come from ancient Greece around 600 BCE, when Thales of Miletus observed that rubbing amber with cloth could attract lightweight objects. This amber-based attraction is the classic early example of electrostatic effects, and the word electricity itself is tied to the Greek word for amber, elektron. That places the observation roughly 2,600 years ago, which is commonly rounded to about 2,500 years ago in exam contexts. So the best choice reflects that approximate time frame. The other options place the observation too far in time (much later) or too far back (before the first documented account).