Final answer:
The vanes move away from the disk when a positively charged object is brought near it.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a positively charged object is brought near the disk of a Van de Graaff generator, the vanes move away from the disk.
This happens because the positively charged object induces a negative charge on the disk, causing the vanes to experience a repulsive force and move away from the disk.
This phenomenon is a result of the interaction between the positive and negative charges, which creates an electric field that affects the motion of the vanes.