Electroscope Experiment

Background

An ELECTROSCOPE is an instrument used to detect changes in electric potential and

therefore electrification. William Gilbert's versorium, or electrical needle, was the first scientific
electroscope in 1544-1603 . It was actually a light metallic needle balanced on a pivot, similar to
a compass needle. Gilbert used it to show that, in addition to amber, certain other bodies can be
electrified by friction. The visible indication in this situation was the attraction exerted between the
electrified body and the light pivoted needle that was acting upon. The invention of basic types of
repulsion electroscopes was the next breakthrough.

Two bodies that are also electrified repel each other. The modern gold-leaf electroscope
was invented by Abraham Bennet. He attached a pair of gold-leaf strips to an insulated wire
within a glass lamp. Outside the vessel, the wire was terminated in a plate or knob. When an
electrified body was held close or in contact with the handle, the gold leaves repelled it.

In this experiment, you can build and test your own electroscope out of common household items.

Explanation

Since electrons are moved from one surface to another by physical touch, it is important to rub
the test materials with your hand or your strands of hair. By actively rubbing, you move electrons
from your hand or hair strands to the test material. The test material remains negatively charged,
while the hand and the hair strands become positively charged. The electrons, which are
negatively charged, will then pass through the electroscope's copper wire to the foil bits, which
both become negatively charged. These negative charges repel each other, allowing the foil bits
to repel. Remember that while opposites attract, negative-negative or positive-positive charge
combinations still repel.

Application

The experiment is conducted on a dry day since dry days’ yield even better results.
Excess moisture in the air prevents a charge from accumulating so energy will escape into hot air
or air with a lot of water vapor.

To begin, we coiled the copper wire because we needed to establish a large surface area
for electrostatic induction, which is the movement of electrons from one surface to another
without touching. The greater the space available for electrons from our object to reach the wire,
the faster energy would flow through our electroscope. This is also why thicker wire is preferable:
the greater the radius of the wire, the more space electrons have to travel.

Two pieces of foil or gold leaf must be in contact with each other in order to repel each
other as electrons pass through them. Negative charges repel one another, so there must be two
negatively charged bits of foil for us to see what is going on.

Importance of the improvised apparatus

An electroscope is a simple device that detects and displays electric charge. It's also simple to
construct. It's basically appropriate for showing that objects may have an unbalanced range of charges
in them for a short period of time. Charge may be 'rubbed' off of glass or a dielectric such as rubber.
Suitable for school demonstrations.