Question

A positively charged ball is brought close to an electrically neutral isolated conductor. The conductor is then grounded while the ball is kept close.If the conductor is charged positively, charged negatively, or neutral if

(a) the ball is first taken away and then the ground connection is removed?

(b) the ground connection is first removed and then the ball is taken away?

Answer 1

Initially a neutral conducting is brought near a positively charged sphere.

Due to induction charges will be induced on conducting sphere.

Since a positively charged ball is brought, the negative charges will be induced on the conductor near the side of the ball and the positive charge will be induced on the other side of the ball.

a). If the ball is first taken away and then the ground connection is removed

then the conductor becomes neutral as there will not be any charge left when the ball is taken away.

b). If the ground connection is first removed and then the ball is taken away then the conductor becomes negatively charged as all the positive charges will be neutralized by grounding.