An electroscope is a simple instrument used to detect and indicate the presence of electric charges. It can determine whether an object is charged and, in some cases, the type of charge (positive or negative).
A basic electroscope consists of the following components:
This is a conducting material, typically made of metal, that extends vertically from the base of the electroscope.
Located at the top end of the metal stem, this disc serves as a terminal for the electroscope.
Two thin metal leaves (usually made of gold or aluminum) are attached to the lower end of the metal stem. The leaves are lightweight and have a natural repulsive force when they have the same electric charge.
When an electrically charged object is brought near the metal knob of the electroscope, the following process occurs:
A charged object is brought near the metal knob, causing the redistribution of charges in the electroscope’s knob through electrostatic induction.
The repulsion between like charges (e.g., both being negatively charged) in the metal leaves causes them to diverge or separate.
The separation of the metal leaves visually indicates the presence of a charge on the electroscope. If the leaves diverge, it suggests opposite charges with the charged object, and if the leaves collapse, it implies similar charges with the charged object.
Coulomb’s Law is a fundamental principle in physics that describes the electrostatic force between two charged particles. It states that the force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of their magnitudes and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Coulomb’s Law is mathematically expressed as:
F=k|q1* q2|/r2
Where:
Electrostatic induction is the process of redistributing electric charge in a conductor by bringing a charged object nearby, without any direct contact, leading to a temporary separation of charges within the conductor.
Electrostatic charging by induction is the process of creating a charge imbalance in a neutral object by bringing a charged object close to it without direct contact, resulting in the temporary separation of charges within the neutral object. This occurs due to the influence of the charged object’s electric field on the charges in the neutral object.
10 Physics Chap 5 les 2 quiz