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Electrostatic induction is the modification in the distribution of electric charge on one material under the influence of nearby objects that have electric charge.Electrostatic induction should not be confused with electromagnetic induction.

An electrostatic motor or capacitor motor is a typical example. It is a type of electric motor based on the attraction and repulsion of electric charge. It functions based on the principle of the electric force between charged particles that constitute materials, a negatively charged object brought near an electrically neutral object induces a positive charge on the near side and a negative charge on the far side of the neutral object. The neutral object, furthermore, may sometimes become charged positively by induction, if its negative part is grounded momentarily to permit the negative charge to escape.