Satatic Electricity - Mission SE6 Detailed Help


A negatively charged balloon is brought near a neutral conducting sphere. While the balloon is near, the sphere is touched (grounded). The ground is removed, while the balloon is still near. Afterwards, the balloon will be ____.


 
Charging by Induction:
Charging by induction is a charging process that involves charging an object without touching the object to a charged object. The charged object is brought near to the object to be charged (a neutral object). The charged object's presence induces a movement of electrons within the neutral object, causing it to become polarized. Then the neutral object is touched to a ground, causing a transfer of electrons between ground the neutral object. The ground is pulled away, the charged object is pulled away and the neutral object has been charged. When the process is complete, both objects are charged with the opposite type of charge.


 
For an object such as the charged balloon to become more charged or lose its charge, there must be a transfer of electrons between it and another object. But in the charging by induction process, electrons move between the conducting sphere and the ground. Electrons do not move between the sphere and the charged balloon. Whatever charge the balloon had before the induction process began is the charge it will have afterwards. The balloon is simply used to induce a movement of charge within the sphere. It never serves to supply or receive electrons from it.