What happens if you touch the metal sphere in a Van de Graaff generator?

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Multiple Choice

What happens if you touch the metal sphere in a Van de Graaff generator?

Explanation:
Charge flows between a charged conductor and anything touching it until they’re at the same electric potential. For a Van de Graaff generator, the sphere ends up with excess electrons on its surface, so it is negatively charged. When you touch the sphere, electrons move onto you, giving you a negative charge. If you were to ground yourself, those electrons would flow away, discharging the sphere.

Charge flows between a charged conductor and anything touching it until they’re at the same electric potential. For a Van de Graaff generator, the sphere ends up with excess electrons on its surface, so it is negatively charged. When you touch the sphere, electrons move onto you, giving you a negative charge. If you were to ground yourself, those electrons would flow away, discharging the sphere.

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