Question

A negatively charged rod is placed near two neutral metal spheres, as shown below.



Which statement describes the charging method shown?

The spheres are charged through friction.
The spheres develop the same charge.
Electrons move from the rod to Sphere A.
Electrons move from Sphere A to Sphere B.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
The correct statement that describes the charging method shown when a negatively charged rod is placed near two neutral metal spheres is:

**Electrons move from Sphere A to Sphere B.**

Here's the reasoning:

1. When a negatively charged rod is brought near two neutral metal spheres (which are conductors), it induces charge separation in the spheres. The negative charge of the rod repels electrons in the metal spheres.
2. If Sphere A is closer to the rod, it will have its electrons repelled away from the rod, causing Sphere A to have an overall positive charge.
3. Sphere B, being connected to Sphere A and at a distance from the rod, will experience an excess of electrons since they are being repelled from Sphere A. Therefore, Sphere B will gain a negative charge.
4. Hence, the statement that correctly describes the scenario is that electrons move from Sphere A (which loses electrons and becomes positively charged) to Sphere B (which gains electrons).

So, electrum transfer occurs from Sphere A to Sphere B due to the presence of the charged rod nearby, which is responsible for this charge redistribution through the process of induction.