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Question

Is a positively charged body attracted by a neutrally charged body to the same extent as a negatively charged body?

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Solution

The answer is YES. Charged particles indeed attract uncharged ones.
This is due to the phenomenon of "Charging by Induction". When a charged body(say positively charged) is brought near an uncharged one, it induces an opposite charge(negative) on it and hence attracts it towards itself. This can be explained as follows :-

The positively charged body can be thought to be an electron deficient specie. When brought near the uncharged body, it attract the free electrons from the uncharged body towards its farther end. As such, the closer end of the uncharged body now experiences efficiency of electrons, which is a characteristic of negative charge. Hence, the ends of the two bodies develop opposite charges and mutual attraction occurs.
The same theory applies for a negatively charged body which can attract an uncharged one.

So the attraction is same in both opposite and and neutral charge. But time taken to become that much attraction with opposite charge will be high, since induction will be a graduating process.

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