A teacher places a metal can on top of an insulating foam cup and touches the side of the foam cup with a negatively charged rod. The setup is shown in the picture.



What will happen to the negatively charged electrons when the rod touches the foam cup?

2 answers

When the negatively charged rod touches the foam cup, the electrons in the foam cup will be repelled by the negative charge on the rod. As a result, the electrons will move away from the side of the foam cup that is in contact with the rod.
The answer is: The electrons will transfer to the foam cup and will remain in a concentrated, negatively charged area on the cup where the rod was placed.