Question

Would the self-created electric field at the end of a pointed conductor, such as a lightning rod, remove positive or negative charge from the conductor? Would the same sign charge be removed from a neutral pointed conductor by the application of a similar externally created electric field? (The answers to both questions have implications for charge transfer utilizing points.)

a) Remove positive; Yes
b) Remove negative; Yes
c) Remove positive; No
d) Remove negative; No

Answer 1

The sharp point of a lightning rod removes positive charges due to the strong electric field it creates. The same process applies to a neutral conductor in an external electric field, meaning the answer is 'Remove positive; Yes'.

Step-by-step explanation:

The self-created electric field at the end of a pointed conductor, such as a lightning rod, is strong enough to ionize nearby air and facilitate charge transfer. For a conductor that is initially positively charged, the role of the sharp point is to push positive charges off the conductor because of the high electric field, which would mean it would remove positive charge. In the case of an externally created electric field, a similar process would occur in a neutral conductor where the positive charges are pushed away from the point, where the electric field is strongest, and negative charges are drawn to the point, resulting in a net positive charge being removed from the conductor when placed near a negative charge.

Therefore, the correct answer to the question would be: a) Remove positive; Yes