A spherical conductor is placed near another positively charged conductor. The net charge acquired by spherical conductor will be

Options

A. Either postive or negative
B. Positive only
C. Negative only
D. Zero

Answer

To solve the problem of determining the net charge acquired by a spherical conductor placed near a positively charged conductor, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Setup**:
- We have two conductors: one is a positively charged conductor, and the other is a neutral spherical conductor placed nearby.

2. **Induction Process**:
- When the positively charged conductor is brought near the neutral spherical conductor, the electric field created by the positive charge will influence the charges within the spherical conductor.
- The positive charge on the nearby conductor will attract the negative charges (electrons) within the spherical conductor towards its surface that is closest to the positively charged conductor.

3. **Charge Redistribution**:
- As a result of this attraction, the side of the spherical conductor closest to the positively charged conductor will acquire a negative charge due to the accumulation of electrons.
- Conversely, the side of the spherical conductor that is farthest from the positively charged conductor will have a deficiency of electrons, resulting in a net positive charge on that side.

4. **Net Charge Calculation**:
- The total amount of induced negative charge on the near side of the spherical conductor will equal the total amount of induced positive charge on the far side.
- Since the spherical conductor was initially neutral, the induced charges will balance each other out.

5. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the net charge acquired by the spherical conductor will be zero. The induced charges do not change the overall neutrality of the conductor.

### Final Answer:
The net charge acquired by the spherical conductor will be **zero**.

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