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Electroscope Activity Instructiions - 2023

electro

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Jack Zhang
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53 views

Electroscope Activity Instructiions - 2023

electro

Uploaded by

Jack Zhang
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Greetings Camper!

Your kit for building an electroscope should contain the following items:

● 1 Balloon
● 1 Foam plate
● 1 Foam cup
● 1 Drinking straw
● 1 Aluminum pie pan
● 1 square inch sheet of Aluminum foil
● 8 inches of Thread

In this activity you will be building a simple electroscope, an instrument used to detect the presence and
size of an electric charge on an object. The type of electroscope you will be building today is a “pith-
bath” electroscope, which gets its name from the spongy plant material called pith originally used to
make the ball. Any lightweight material capable of storing charge (such as the aluminum foil in this kit)
will work as a pith ball. When a negatively charged object is touched to the pith ball, some electrons
transfer to the ball, making it negatively charged. When a positively charged object moves near the pith
ball, the pith ball becomes attracted to it. Conversely, a negatively charged source will repel the
electrons, and therefore the ball. Electroscopes can also be used to detect ionizing radiation. In this
case, the radiation ionizes the air to be more positively or negatively charged depending on the type of
radiation, and the ball will either be attracted or repelled by the source. This is how electroscopes can be
used for detecting x-rays, cosmic rays, and radiation from radioactive material.

Instructions:

1. Make two holes near the bottom of the foam cup on opposite sides.
2. Push a plastic straw through the holes in the cup.
3. Turn the cup upside down and glue or tape it onto the bottom of an aluminum pie pan. Make
sure that the cup is right at the edge so that the straw sticks out over it.
4. Tie a few knots in one end of the 8 inch thread.
5. Make a ball using the square of aluminum foil around the knots in the thread. The ball should be
about the size of a marble. It should be just tight enough so it doesn’t fall off the thread.
6. Tape the end of the thread to the straw so that the ball of foil hangs straight down from the
straw, right next to the edge of the pan. It is important the ball hangs near the edge of the pan
but does not touch it when hanging loose.
7. Tape the straw to the cup so it doesn’t move around when you use the electroscope.
8. To test the electroscope, create some static electricity. An easy way to create static is by rubbing
a balloon on a foam plate. When you do this, you “charge” the plate, which means you cause a
buildup of electrons on one side. Even though the plate is charged, the electrons don’t move
because foam doesn’t conduct electrons.
9. Once you’ve created some static electricity, place the electroscope on top of the foam plate. Be
sure to hold the electroscope by the foam cup and not the aluminum pan, otherwise it won’t
work (your body provides a path for the static electricity to escape!). Electrons move easily
through metal, so when you put the pie pan onto the foam plate, the electrons travel into the
pan. When the electroscope detects static electricity, the foil ball pushes out from the pan.
10. Another way to test this is to move your finger into a position such that the pith ball is hanging
between your finger and the aluminum pan. If the pith ball is charged, you may notice it start to
move away from your finger.
11. Move your finger so that it touches the pith ball, and leave your finger in that position. This will
discharge the pith ball, and it should fall away from your finger towards the pan. Once the pith
ball touches the pan, it will recharge with electrons, and then be repelled away from the pan
towards your stationary finger. Once it touches your finger it discharges and moves back
towards the pan. And over and over again.
12. Try charging different objects, like a comb or ruler, with static electricity. You can see how much
charge these objects build up based on how far away the foil ball moves.

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