A charged object will attract an uncharged object until they touch, and then they will repel one another. When charged objects attract uncharged objects, such as when the negatively charged plastic comb or fur attracted the paper, the negatively charged comb/fur repelled some of the electrons in the paper. This results in a redistribution of charges in the paper so that one side is more negative than the other side. The net effect is that the paper is attracted to the comb/fur. This also applies to the balloon attracting an uncharged wall. When a charged object is placed near an uncharged object, its charges rearrange themselves. In other words, those charges attracted to the charged object move towards the charged object and those charges repelled move away. This effect is known as polarization.
2. What happens when you bring a charged object (ebonite rod) close to a neutral or uncharged object (water)?
A neutral stream of water bends towards a charged plastic comb. There is an attractive force between a charged object and a neutral (uncharged) object. Any charged object (positively or negatively charged) will have an attraction towards a neutral object. Neutral objects and positively charged object attract each other, and neutral and negatively charged object attract each other as well.
3. What happens when a …show more content…
If a conductor touches the sphere of the electroscope, the charged metal leaves will fall, and its charge will be lost as electrons pass through the conductor to or from your body. The leaves on the leaf electroscope will remain raised if the material being tested is an insulator. This is because insulators do not allow electrons to flow, which results in the leaves of the electroscope being kept raised. Because conductors allow electrons to flow, the electrons can ground to or from your body, resulting in the leaves being