Why can a charged object attract a neutral one?

Electric charge is a property of matter that produces electrical forces. Charge has two signs, called positive and negative. In a simple comparison of fixed charges, like signs repel and opposite signs attract. Net charge means the overall balance after positive and negative contributions are combined; an electrically neutral object has a balance of zero.

A neutral object still contains charged constituents. A nearby charged object can influence how those charges are arranged. In a conductor, some charges can move through the material. In an insulator, positive and negative charges can shift slightly within atoms or molecules. Either kind of separation is called polarization.

The illustration places a negatively charged object beside a neutral, polarizable object. Opposite charge is slightly nearer the negative object, while like charge lies slightly farther away. The nearer attraction can be stronger than the more distant repulsion, leaving a net attraction even though the second object remains neutral overall.

This is different from charge transfer. No contact is needed for the polarization shown, and the neutral object has not acquired a net positive charge. The separated plus and minus symbols represent a small rearrangement, not freely detached chunks of matter. The size of the effect depends on the objects, their material properties, and their separation.