Once charge within the electroscope has been polarized (i.e., separated into opposite types), the bottom of the electroscope is touched by a finger. Being repelled by the negatively charged balloon, electrons from the electroscope exit and enter into the ground. Once more, this process is driven by the principle that like charges repel. The electrons, having a mutual repulsion for one another and for the negatively charged balloon, choose to exit the electroscope and enter into the larger region. By doing so, the electrons are able to distance themselves and so minimize the repulsive interactions. It is at this point in the induction process that the electroscope acquires an overall charge. Since electrons have left the electroscope, the overall charge on it is positive. In general, the induction process will always place a charge on the object which is the opposite type of charge possessed by the object used to charge it.