When a charged body approaches an insulator, the side facing it acquires an opposite charge due to induction, but insulators cannot retain this induced charge. In high electric fields, insulators can become positively charged through field-emission of electrons or negatively charged by collecting electrons from other sources. Charge cannot be induced on insulators through standard methods, but in high voltage scenarios, charge can be deposited within insulators. The van deGraaff generator demonstrates charge transfer, where charge is wiped onto a dielectric belt and then transferred to a metal sphere. Overall, while insulators can interact with electric fields, they do not acquire the same charge as a nearby charged body through induction.
