Question

We know that charged objects with the same sign repel each other and objects charged with opposite signs attract. What happens when a charged insulating object is brought near an uncharged conducting object without touching it? The conductor remains uncharged and no force is exerted on it. The conductor becomes charged and no force is exerted on it The conductor remains uncharged and a force is exerted on it.

Answer 1

• The conductor remains uncharged and a force is exerted on it.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a conductor, charges are free to flow. The total charge in the conductor will continue to be zero, but the charge with the same sign as the charged object will be repel to the farthest side of the conductor, and the charges with opposite sign will be attracted to the closest side. As the electric force decays with the square of the distance, the charges closest to the charged object will experiment an stronger force, so, the total net force will not be zero.