You have three small balls. Balls 1 and 2 attract each other and balls 2 and 3 repel each other. Can any of the balls be neutral? If so, which ones?
Answer (1)
In physics, the interaction between charged objects dictates their behavior of attraction and repulsion. In this scenario, we have three balls: Balls 1, 2, and 3. Given the interactions:
Balls 1 and 2 attract each other.
Balls 2 and 3 repel each other.
Let's analyze if any of the balls can be neutral:
Attraction (Balls 1 and 2): Attraction occurs between oppositely charged objects. For balls 1 and 2 to attract each other, one must be positively charged and the other negatively charged. However, it doesn't immediately rule out the possibility of one being neutral because neutral objects can be attracted to charged objects due to induced polarization.
Repulsion (Balls 2 and 3): Repulsion occurs between like-charged objects. For balls 2 and 3 to repel each other, both must have the same type of charge, either both positive or both negative.
Analyzing the interactions:
If ball 2 repels ball 3 , both must have the same type of charge .
Since ball 2 is involved in both interactions (attraction with ball 1 and repulsion with ball 3), it cannot be neutral.
Balls 1 and 3 can have different charges or one could be neutral. However, since ball 2 repels ball 3, it confirms that ball 3 is charged and has the same type of charge as ball 2.
Thus, ball 1 can be neutral because:
It can be attracted to ball 2, assuming ball 2 is charged and able to induce a temporary charge in ball 1 through polarization.
Therefore, it is possible for ball 1 to be neutral, while balls 2 and 3 are necessarily charged.
