The charge on an originally uncharged insulated conductor is separated by induction from a positively charged rod brought near the conductor. For which of the various Gaussian surfaces represented by the dashed lines does = 0? A) S₁ B) S₂ C) S₃ D) S₄ E) S₅

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The charge on the insulated conductor is induced by the positively charged rod brought near it. As a result, the charge on the conductor is opposite in sign to that of the rod, and there is a point on the conductor which is closest to the rod where the electric field is strongest. This point is called the induced charge separation point.

For a Gaussian surface passing through this induced charge separation point, the electric field is perpendicular to the surface, and the flux through the surface is zero. Thus, the charge enclosed by the surface is also zero, and the answer is D, which is the only option with a Gaussian surface passing through the induced charge separation point.

The Charge on an Originally Uncharged Insulated Conductor Is Separated