I.

PHYSICS
Conclusion

The majority of objects are electrically neutral, meaning they have an equal number of positive and negative
charges. One needs to change the charge balance between positive and negative charges in order to charge
an object. There are three means of achieving this: friction, conduction, and induction.

The charging by friction method is when material is rubbed with certain materials to gain an electric charge. One
example from the activity is the interaction between balloons rubbed on wool. There is a net transfer of
electrons from the wool to the balloon. Before rubbing, both balloon and wool were electrically neutral. It seems
that balloon has a greater affinity for additional electrons than wool, hence the transfer of electrons from the
wool to the balloon. Placing the balloon on its original place, after it has been rubbed enough times to the wool,
it becomes attracted to the wool. On the contrast, when bringing the two balloons closer to each other, the
balloons repel each other. This explains the interaction between objects with identical and opposite charges.
Like charges repel, unlike charges attract.

The charging by conduction method requires contacting a conductive material with a charged particle. When a
negatively charged rod is touched to the metal ball of the electroscope, some of the excess electrons on the rod
that are repelled by the close proximity of their neighboring excess electrons move over to the metal ball. The
metal ball and the negative rod share some of the excess of electrons that the charged rod previously had.
Both have some of the excess and hence both are negatively charged. Therefore, when a positively charged
rod is used, some of the free electrons on the metal ball of the electroscope are attracted over to the positive
rod to reduce some of its deficit of electrons. The electroscope and the rod share the deficit of electrons that the
rod previously had, and both have a positive charge.

Lastly, the induction charging is when after a material has been charged by rubbing, it may be used to charge
another material by a method which requires no contact between the two materials. For example from the
activity a negatively charged rod is brought near the electroscope and you touch the electroscope with your
finger, keeping the negative rod in place, electrons are induced to vacate the electroscope and flow through
your finger. When your finger is removed, the electroscope is left with a deficit of electrons and, therefore, a
positive charge. The leaves will remain apart even when the negative rod is removed.