Static Electricity - Mission SE4 Detailed Help

A metal sphere is electrically neutral. It is touched by a positively charged metal rod. As a result, the metal sphere becomes charged positively. This occurs because the metal sphere _____.


 
Charging by Conduction:
Charging by conduction (or contact) is the charging process that involves the touching of a charged object to a neutral object. Upon contact, the charged object conducts some of its excess charge to the neutral object so that both objects share (not necessarily equally) the excess charge. The charge is conducted by the movement of electrons. Electrons move from a negatively charged object to a neutral object or from a neutral object to a positively charged object. When the process is complete, both objects are charged with the same type of charge.


 
Many students have the misconception that an object that is positively charged can transfer its protons to a neutral object when charging by conduction. But don't be fooled! Protons are indeed positively charged, but they are present in the nucleus of atoms and as such are tightly bound in that location. The charging of objects always occurs by means of a movement of electrons - either off of an object or onto an object. Protons never move.


 

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