What is the process called when a charged object causes a neutral object to rearrange its charges without contact?

What is the process called when a charged object causes a neutral object to rearrange its charges without contact?

• A. Induction
• B. Conduction
• C. Friction
• D. Polarization

Answer: (A)

Induction is the process where a charged object creates an electric field that rearranges charges inside a neutral object without any contact. In a conductor, free electrons move in response to that field, gathering on the side closest to the external charge or moving away from it, so the near surface ends up with the opposite sign to the external charge while the far side takes the other sign. The overall object stays electrically neutral, but it forms an induced dipole due to this redistribution. Polarization is a similar idea for insulators where bound charges shift within molecules, but the classic scenario described here—charges rearranging in a neutral object without touching the charged object—fits induction. Conduction would require contact, and friction involves transferring charges by rubbing.

Induction is the process where a charged object creates an electric field that rearranges charges inside a neutral object without any contact. In a conductor, free electrons move in response to that field, gathering on the side closest to the external charge or moving away from it, so the near surface ends up with the opposite sign to the external charge while the far side takes the other sign. The overall object stays electrically neutral, but it forms an induced dipole due to this redistribution. Polarization is a similar idea for insulators where bound charges shift within molecules, but the classic scenario described here—charges rearranging in a neutral object without touching the charged object—fits induction. Conduction would require contact, and friction involves transferring charges by rubbing.