Suppose you have a positively charged acetate strip, and two uncharged metal spheres mounted on insulating stands. Describe how to use the charged strip to charge one sphere positively and one sphere negatively by electrostatic induction.
2007-01-04 07:40:30 · 1 answers · asked by ☺ Joel ☺ 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Using only induction, conductive objects can be polarized by bringing one into the vicinity of the electric field of a charged object.
Connect a conductor between the two uncharged metal spheres mounted on insulating stands. Separate them in space. Bring the positively charged acetate strip as close as possible without touching one of the spheres (if long enough, make a loop around the middle of one of the spheres). Disconnect the conductor.
When the acetate strip is close to one of the spheres, it will induce a field that will pull electrons to the surface of the sphere near where the strip is placed. If necessary, it will pull electrons out of the other sphere and through the conductor.
This will charge the "non-induced sphere" to become positive and the induced sphere negative due to the transfer of electrons through the conductor.
2007-01-04 11:10:15 · answer #1 · answered by Richard 7 · 24⤊ 0⤋