Final answer:
It is true that an external force is needed to set a stationary object in motion in space. However, it is false that an object must be touched by a charged one to be charged by polarization as it can occur without direct contact.
Step-by-step explanation:
The notion that an external force is necessary to initiate motion in a stationary object, even in the void of space devoid of gravitational and atmospheric influence, is true. Newton's first law of motion, also known as the law of inertia, states that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. In space, an object will not move unless a force, like a thrust from a rocket engine, is applied to it.
In the case of polarization, it is not necessary for the object being polarized to be physically touched by another object carrying an excess charge. Therefore, the statement saying that charging an object by polarization requires contact with a charged object is false.
Polarization can occur when an electrically neutral object is brought near a charged object, causing the charges within the neutral object to rearrange themselves in response to the electric field of the charged object, without direct contact. This is due to electric fields influencing nearby charges regardless of direct physical contact.