When a negatively charged rod is brought near the metal sphere, the sphere undergoes electrostatic induction. Here's the detailed explanation of what happens step by step:
Electrostatic Induction:
The negatively charged rod repels the electrons in the sphere, causing the electrons in the sphere to move away from the side near the rod.
As a result, the side of the sphere closer to the rod becomes positively charged, while the side farther from the rod becomes negatively charged.
Earthing the Sphere:
When the sphere is connected to the ground (earthed), the excess electrons on the far side (negative charges) flow into the ground because electrons are free to move in a conductor.
The sphere is now left with a deficiency of electrons, making it positively charged overall.
Removing the Earthing:
After the earthing connection is removed, the positive charge on the sphere remains because there is no longer a path for electrons to flow back into the sphere.
Removing the Charged Rod:
Once the negatively charged rod is taken away, the positive charge is distributed uniformly over the surface of the sphere because charges in a conductor redistribute themselves evenly.
Final Answer:
The sphere will have a positive charge after the process.
Reason: When the sphere was earthed in the presence of the negatively charged rod, the excess electrons flowed into the ground. After disconnecting the earthing and removing the rod, the sphere retains the positive charge created due to the deficiency of electrons.
