What property is responsible for causing particles to either repel or attract one another?

The property responsible for causing particles to either repel or attract one another is electrical charge. This fundamental characteristic arises from the presence of charged particles, such as electrons and protons. Particles with the same charge repel each other, while those with opposite charges attract, which is a principle that is central to the interactions in atomic and molecular structures.

Electrical charge plays a crucial role in various phenomena, including the formation of chemical bonds, the behavior of ions in solution, and the operation of electronic devices. Understanding how electrical charge influences particle interactions is vital in numerous fields, from physics to chemistry and even biology.

While gravity force is indeed a fundamental interaction, it primarily affects the motion of larger bodies and is generally much weaker than the forces derived from electrical charge at the atomic level. Similarly, a magnetic field relates to the behavior of magnetic materials and charged particles in motion, but it does not explain the attraction or repulsion of all particles. Thermal energy pertains to the kinetic energy of particles and can lead to temperature changes and phase transitions, but it does not inherently cause particles to attract or repel each other. Therefore, electrical charge is the key property that dictates the interactions among particles.