A negatively charged rod touched a mounted sphere. The results were that the sphere acquired a negative charge at the location of the point of contact. What does this result mean for the sphere touched?

Question

A. The sphere is a conductor because the charge acquired remained in the location of contact.
B. The sphere is a conductor because the charge was distributed across the surface of the sphere.
C. The sphere is an insulator because the charge was distributed across the surface of the sphere.
D. The sphere is an insulator because the charge acquired remained in the location of contact.

Answer 1

The correct answer is D. The sphere is an insulator because the charge acquired remained in the location of contact.

When a negatively charged rod touches an insulator, the charge does not spread out across the surface like it would if the object were a conductor. Instead, the charge tends to stay localized at the point of contact. This behavior indicates that the sphere is likely an insulator, since insulators do not allow for the free movement of charge across their surfaces.