How do charged objects and neutral objects interact?
Part A
A small ball with zero net charge is positively charged on one side, and equally
negatively charged on the other side. The ball is placed near a positive point
charge as shown.
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Would the ball be attracted toward, repelled from, or unaffected by the
positive point charge? Explain.
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Is your answer consistent with Coulomb's Law? Is it consistent with what
you observed in the tape lab? Explain.
Through careful observations of physical phenomenon, scientists develop
models or mental pictures to account for what is observed. These scientific
models can also be used to predict physical behavior. From observations
of electrical we can develop a model for electric charge.
Part B
Use your model for electric charge to account for the electrical attraction
between a charged tape and an uncharged metal ball. As part of your answer,
draw a sketch of the charge distribution on the tape and ball both before
and after they are brought near one another.