How do static variables differ from instance variables?

Static variables are declared with the static keyword and belong to the class itself, rather than to any specific instance of the class. This means that there is only one copy of a static variable for the entire class, and all instances of that class share access to this single copy. This makes static variables useful for maintaining common values or states that should be consistent across all instances, such as a count of how many objects of the class have been created.

In contrast, instance variables are tied to individual objects created from a class. Each object has its own copy of the instance variables, which allows each object to maintain its own unique state.

The other options do not accurately describe the key distinctions between static and instance variables.