ElectromagnetismLesson 1 of 4 in the course Electric Charges and Fields

Charge Mobility, Polarization, and Charging by Induction

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 4 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson explains why electric charge moves easily through some materials but remains in place in others. Understanding this difference helps explain how electric currents flow and why charged objects can retain their charge.

Electrons surround an atom’s tiny nucleus in a cloud of negative charge. In some materials, an atom’s outermost electron is only loosely bound to the nucleus. It can move away from its atom and to a neighboring atom.

All flashcards

Conduction electron
A loosely bound electron that can move from one atom to another in a material.
Polarization
The separation or rearrangement of positive and negative charge within an object.
Electric dipole
A pair of regions with opposite charge separated within an object.
Charging by induction
Creating a net charge through the influence of a nearby charged object, without direct charge transfer from it.
Grounding
Connecting an object to Earth through a conducting path so charge can flow.

Quiz questions

  1. A positively charged rod is brought near a neutral metal conductor. Which charge movement occurs within the conductor?Answer: Electrons move toward the side nearest the rod.
  2. A charged object is brought near an isolated neutral conductor, with no charge entering or leaving it. What happens to the conductor's total charge?Answer: It remains neutral while its charges redistribute.
  3. Two neutral metal spheres touch while insulated from their surroundings. A positively charged rod is brought near one sphere, and the spheres are separated while the rod remains nearby. What charges do the spheres acquire?Answer: The near sphere becomes negative and the far sphere positive.
  4. To charge a metal sphere by induction using a positively charged rod and a ground wire, when should the ground connection be broken?Answer: After connecting the ground and before removing the rod.
  5. What distinguishes charging by induction from directly charging an object by contact?Answer: The nearby charged object causes a net charge without transferring charge directly from itself.

Based on University Physics Volume 2 by Samuel J. Ling, William Moebs, Jeff Sanny (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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