Question

A sexond smaller metal sphere was positioned near the van de Graff machine. THe sphere was grounded. Did this snaller sphere become charged? How and why? was the interaction between the two spheres attractive or repulsive? Explain.

Yes the smaller sphere was charged because this smaller sphere is grounded so that it has a neutral charge which is attracted to the negatively charged van de Graaff machine. The interaction is attractive because they are composed of two different charges.

Is this correct?

Answer 1

Huh?

Here is what happens. THe sphere, the side next to the Van de graff, has charges on it moved to the opposite side. Say the Van de graff is negative, so it repels the electron on the sphere away to the opposite side, leaving the Positive side toward the generator. Overall, the sphere is neutral. However, because the positve charges are closer to the Van de Graff, the net force on the sphere is attractive.