Final answer:
In California, an artificial legal entity that is chartered by the Secretary of State and conducts business is known as a corporation. Corporations are different from sole proprietorships and partnerships and can be either public, with stock shares, or private, without stock shares.
Step-by-step explanation:
A legal "artificial being" that conducts business under its California Secretary of State chartered name is legally known as a corporation. Corporations are formal legal entities, distinct from sole proprietorships and partnerships, that are authorized by state and national governments. They can sell shares to raise revenue if they are public, or remain as private entities without publicly issued stock.
In California, forming a corporation involves obtaining a charter from the Secretary of State. Private companies, which may be operated as sole proprietorships when owned by an individual or partnerships when run by a group, can also be corporations. However, not all corporations issue public stock - some large private corporations exist with substantial sales, like Cargill and Mars, but they choose to not publicly trade shares.
Therefore, a business entity in California that is chartered and recognized as an independent legal entity would be categorized as a corporation, rather than a for-profit robotic, a franchise, or a partnership.