Two conductors dangle from strings a short distance apart, initially uncharged.

Question

Two conductors dangle from strings a short distance apart, initially uncharged. After rubbing a teflon rod with the silk, you touch the charged end of the rod to one of the two conductors. You then place the two conductors as before a short distance apart. What immediately happens to the conductors?

a. The conductors continue to hang unaffected by the other's presence.

b. The conductors attract.    

c. The conductors repel.

You now take a piece of copper wire that is insulated from your hand and touch the bare ends of the wire to both conductors simultaneously. What happens to the system after you remove the wire?

a. The conductors repel.

b. The conductors attract.    

c. The conductors continue to hang unaffected by the other's presence.

Explanation / Answer

1) In the second case, one of the conductor will be having some charges and that will cause induction of charges(opposite in sign) on the other conductor. Since both will be having opposite charges they will attract each-other.
2) The copper wire will cause equalization of charges and hence they will be having same sign of charges so they will repel each other.( because the net charge on the system of two conductor was not zero initially after touching one of them to teflon rod).

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