Question

You are wearing shoes with thick rubber soles. You briefly touch a negatively charged metal sphere. Afterward, the sphere seems to have little or no charge. Why? Explain in detail.

Short answer

The sphere seems to have little or no charge because the transfer of the charges to the thick rubber soles takes place due to the rubbing action.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the transfer of electron through friction (rubbing action)

In this problem, the concept of transfer of electron (charge) through a mode of friction (rubbing action) will be used to evaluate the charge on the sphere.

When an insulating type of material rubs with each other, then the transfer of electron particle from one specific material to another material takes place with the help of rubbed-off action.

Analysis of the transfer of charge (electron) between the thick rubber soles and the metal sphere

When you wear any shoes having thick rubber soles and touch a negatively charged metal sphere, then there would be the transfer of negative charge (electron) on the rubber soles that takes place with the help of rubbing action. So, the transfer of negative charge electrons to the rubber soles (rubbed off) from the metal sphere reflects little or no charge on the sphere.

You don’t ever actually transmit the charge through insulated boots either during accumulation or discharge.

Thus, the sphere seems to have little or no charge because the transfer of the charges to the thick rubber soles takes place due to the frictional action (rubbing).