Static Electricity - Mission SE6 Detailed Help


A positively charged balloon is brought near a neutral conducting sphere. As the balloon is brought near, there is a movement of electrons. Electrons move ____.


 
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.


 
Opposites attract. Likes repel. And only electrons can move. That's the key to understanding charging by induction. When the positively charged balloon is brought near the conducting sphere, a movement of electrons is induced within the sphere. Which way do electrons move? Being attracted by the positively charged balloon, electrons will tend to move from the right side of the sphere to the left side in order to get closer to the balloon.