Electrostatic induction also known as "Electrostatic Influence" or simply "Influence" in Europe and Latin America (see for instance
Wilhelm Holtz influence machine), is a redistribution of
electrical charge in an object, caused by the influence of nearby charges. In the presence of a charged body, an insulated conductor develops a positive charge on one end and a negative charge on the other end. Induction was discovered by British scientist
John Canton in 1753 and Swedish professor
Johan Carl Wilcke in 1762.
Electrostatic generators, such as the
Wimshurst machine, the
Van de Graaff generator and the
electrophorus, use this principle. Due to induction, the
electrostatic potential (
voltage) is constant at any point throughout a conductor. Electrostatic Induction is also responsible for the attraction of light nonconductive objects, such as balloons, paper or styrofoam scraps, to static electric charges. Electrostatic induction laws apply in dynamic situations as far as the
Quasistatic approximation is valid. This is for instance the case for the
capacitor in the
Electrical network frame. The Electric induction has recently been proposed as a
Wireless power Transfer technique. Electrostatic induction should not be confused with
Electromagnetic induction.