Static 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). At this point, 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 negatively charged balloon is brought near the conducting sphere, a movement of electrons is induced within the sphere. Which way will they move? Being repelled by the negatively charged balloon, electrons move from the left side of the sphere to the right side in order to distance themselves from the balloon. If the electrons could move farther, they would; however the edge of the sphere is as far as they can go. Charge is now polarized within the sphere, with the left side having lost electrons and right side having gained electrons. When the sphere is touched, the electrons have an opportunity to move even further from the negatively charged balloon. They exit the sphere into the ground and the sphere becomes charged. The sphere is said to have been charged by induction with the negatively charged balloon.


 

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