Charging a Neutral Object by
Conduction or Induction
Charging by Conduction
• Positive Object before touch
Neutral Electroscope
Charging by Conduction
• Positive Object during touch
Electrons move
upward and onto the
charged rod.
Electroscope now has
more + than -.
Charging by Conduction
• Positive Object after touch
Both the object and the
electroscope have the
same amount of positive
charge.
Charging by Conduction
• Negative Object before touch
Neutral Electroscope
Charging by Conduction
• Negative Object during touch
Electrons move from
charged object onto
electroscope.
Electroscope now has
more – than +.
Charging by Conduction
• Negative Object after touch
Both the object and the
electroscope have the
same amount of negative
charge.
Charging by Induction
• Positive Object before touch
Neutral Object
Neutral Electroscope
Charging by Induction
• Positive Object during flyby
Neutral Object
Electrons move nearer to
the strong positive object.
Electroscope appears to
be charged because of this
shift.
Charging by Induction
• Positive Object during touch of neutral object
The neutral object accepts
the higher concentration
of electrons from the top
of the electroscope.
Charging by Induction
• Positive Object after
The original object has the
same charge, the
electroscope is now
positive, and the neutral
object has a negative
charge.
Charging by Induction
• Negative Object before flyby
Neutral Object
Neutral Electroscope
Charging by Induction
• Negative Object during flyby
Neutral Object
Electrons move further
away from the strong
negative object.
Electroscope appears to
be charged because of this
shift.
Charging by Induction
• Negative Object during touch of neutral object
Neutral object donates
some of it’s electrons to
the positive top of the
electroscope.
The neutral object now
has a excess positive
charge.
Charging by Induction
• Negative Object after
Original negative object
has the same charge,
electroscope has excess
negative, and neutral
object has become
positive by losing
electrons.