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Project
An electroscope is a device which can determine whether an object is electrically charged. You can make your own electroscope (Fig. 5.18) in your class with the help of your teacher, and test the device. Explore in what other ways you may use this electroscope.
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Key Points
A simple electroscope shows charge when its foil leaves move apart.
Key Points / Good Practices
- Build it from a jar, a lid, a straw, a copper wire and two aluminium foil strips.
- Bring a charged object (like a rubbed scale) near the top wire.
- The foil strips gain like charges and spread apart — showing the object is charged.
- Test different rubbed objects to see which are charged.
- Explore using it to compare how strongly different materials get charged.
The foil leaves spreading apart tell you an object is electrically charged.
