Can an insulator be charged? If so, how would you charge an insulator? If not, why not?

Yes, an insulator can be charged by rubbing.

Can a conductor be charged? If so, how would you charge a conductor. If not, why not?
Yes, a conductor can be charged by touching it with a charged insulator.

Four lightweight balls A, B, C, and D are suspended by threads. Ball A has been touched by a
plastic rod that was rubbed with wool. When the balls are brought close together, without
touching, the following observations are made:
Balls B, C, and D are attracted to ball A
Balls B and D have no effect on each other
Ball B is attracted to ball C
What are the charge states (glass, plastic, or neutral) of balls A, B, C, and D? Explain.
Ball A obtains plastic charge, because it has been touched by a plastic-charged rod.
Balls B and D are neutral, because neither have an effect on each other. If either one is charged
or if both are charged, then one ball would be attracted to the other, or both balls would repel
one another.
Ball C has glass charge. That the neutrally charged ball B is attracted to ball C shows that C is
charged and not neutral. That ball C is attracted to the plastic-charged ball A shows that C has
opposite charge to that of A.
Charged plastic and glass rods hang by threads.
An object repels the plastic rod. Can you predict what it will do to the glass rod? If
so, what? If not, why not?
If the object repels the charged plastic rod, the object must have plastic charge. Therefore, it will
attract the glass rod.
A different object attracts the plastic rod. Can you predict what it will do to the
glass rod? If so, what? If not, why not?
If another object attracts the plastic rod, it could be neutral(because it would be attracted by
polarization), or it could have glass charge (opposite charges attract). A neutral object could
attract the glass rod, but a glass-charged object could repel the charged glass rod. Therefore,
we cannot predict what the given object will do to the glass rod.
A lightweight metal ball hangs by a thread. When a charged rod is held near, the ball moves
toward the rod, touches the rod, then quickly flies away from the rod. Explain this behavior.
The metal ball begins neutral. The ball is then attracted to a charged rod by charge polarization.
When the metal ball touches the rod, some excessive charge from the rod is transferred to the
ball. The metal ball obtains the same charge as the rod, and as the metal ball is neither
grounded nor touching a larger conductor, the rod still retains some of its excess charge.

Therefore, both the ball and the rod have the same charge, and the ball flies away from the
rod, as like charges repel.
Suppose there exists a third type of charge in addition to the two types weve called glass and
plastic. Call this third type X charge. What experiment or series of experiments would you use
to test whether an object has X charge? State clearly how each possible outcome of the
experiments is to be interpreted.
First, I would determine if an object is charged at all. I would place the object near a neutral rod
hanging from a thread. If the neutral object is either attracted or repelled by the the object to
test, then the object in question must be charged. If there is no interaction, then the object in
question must be neutral.
If the object is charged, then I would place the object between a charged plastic rod and a
charged glass rod.
If the plastic rod is attracted to the object, and the glass rod is repelled by the
object, then the object must have glass charge.
If the plastic rod is repelled by the object, and the glass rod is attracted by the
object, then the object must have plastic charge.
If both the plastic rod and the glass rod are attracted by the object
A negatively charged electroscope has separated leaves.
Suppose you bring a negatively charged rod close to the top of the electroscope,
but not touching. How will the leaves respond? Use both charge diagrams and words to
explain.
Because the electroscope is negatively charged, and like charges repel, the electrons in the
electroscope will be repelled by the negative charge of the rod and move toward the leaves.
Therefore, the leaves will have a greater magnitude of negative charge, and will therefore
separate further.
How will the leaves respond if you bring a positively charged rod close to the top
of the electroscope, but not touching? Use both charge diagrams and words to explain.
Because the electroscope is negatively charged, and opposite charges attract, the electrons in
the electroscope will move towards the top of the device. There will be less electrons on the
leaves-side of the electroscope. The positive charge created by the deficit of electrons will
neutralize the negative charge of the leaves, and the leaves will move closer together.

The two oppositely charged metal spheres in Figure Q25.8 have equal quantities of charge.
They are brought into contact with a neutral metal rod. What is the final charge state of each
sphere and of the rod? Use both charge diagrams and words to explain.

Because the two metal spheres and the rod are all conductors, and because opposite charges
attract, as soon as the the rod comes in contact with the spheres, the electrons start moving
from sphere A to sphere B. By conservation of charge, both spheres and the rod become
neutral.
Metal sphere A in Figure Q25.9 has 4 units of negative charge and metal sphere B has 2 units
of positive charge. The two spheres are brought into contact. What is the final charge state of
each sphere? Explain.

Because the two metal spheres are conductors and because opposite charges attract, the
electrons in sphere A move to sphere B as soon as the spheres are brought into contact. By
conservation of charge, there will be an excess of two units of negative charge after the positive
charges are neutralized by the other electrons. Because both spheres are conductors, the
spheres will share the same final charge state. That is, both spheres A and B will have net
negative charges.

Metal spheres A and B in Figure Q25.10 are initially neutral and are touching. A positively
charged rod is brought near A, but not touching. Is A now positive, negative, or neutral? Use
both charge diagrams and words to explain.