Question

If the charged rod shown in figure 1.5 touches the neutral conducting sphere shown in figure 1.6, the sphere will?

a) become negatively charged
b) remain neutral
c) become positively charged
Explain your answer.

Answer 1

The sphere will become charged after being touched by a charged rod, either negatively if the rod is negatively charged or positively if the rod is positively charged; it will not remain neutral.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the charged rod shown touches the neutral conducting sphere, the outcome of the sphere's charge will depend on the type of charge on the rod. However, since the student's question does not specify the type of charge on the rod, we cannot conclusively say whether the sphere will become positively charged, negatively charged, or remain neutral after being touched by the rod. Assuming the rod is negatively charged:

• If the charged rod touching the sphere is negatively charged, then electrons from the rod can transfer to the sphere, leading the sphere to become negatively charged.
• If the rod is positively charged, the sphere will give up electrons to the rod, making the sphere positively charged.

In both cases, the sphere will not remain neutral as it will either gain or lose electrons depending on the charge of the rod.