Question

In another experiment, a piece of the web is suspended so that it can move freely. When either a positively charged object or a negatively charged object is brought near the web, the thread is observed to move toward the charged object. What is the best interpretation of this observation? The web is (a) a negatively charged conductor; (b) a positively charged conductor; (c) either a positively or negatively charged conductor; (d) an electrically neutral conductor.

Short answer

Option (c) is correct.

Step-by-step solution

Conduction

A conductor is a material that allows a charge to freely flow through its atomic structure.

An insulator keeps the charge in place.

The separation of positive and negative charges in a neutral object is referred to as polarisation. Polarized objects have a charge distribution because their positive and negative charges are concentrated in different areas.

Solution

The movement of the web towards the charged object indicates that the web is charged. As they attract each other, it has the opposite charge of the object.

Hence, option (c) is correct.