A Gold Leaf Electroscope

The gold leaf electroscope.

A gold leaf electroscope.

It consists of a vertical metal rod which has two parallel strips of thin flexible gold leaf hang to it. Metal rod has a metal knob at its top. This instrument is used for the detection of charge and measuring static electricity. This is an instrument for detecting and measuring static electricity or voltage.

The whole of this part of the electroscope is insulated from the body of the instrument. The gold leaf electroscope was developed in 1787 by british clergyman and physicist abraham bennet as a more sensitive instrument than pith ball or straw blade electroscopes then in use. The mouth of the jar is sealed. The gold leaf electroscope like the one illustrated here first appeared in the latter part of the 18th century.

Gold leaves are at the bottom of the rod. Electroscope it is a device that is used for detecting whether an object is charged or uncharged. As you can see from the picture there is a metal conductor sphere and a metal rod attached to this sphere. It consists of a vertical conductive rod with a metal ball on the top and two thin and parallel strips of gold leaf attached at the bottom.

Two gold leaves are also attached at the bottom end of the rod. It consists of a metal rod which is fitted in an insulating box. It works on the principle that the like charges repel each other. It is a simple device to detect the presence of charge on any body.

Invented by abraham bennet in 1787 this electroscope is comparatively more sensitive than a pith ball one. Bennet s electroscope consisted of a pair of very thin narrow leaves of gold hung from a conducting rod. It consists of an evacuated glass jar placed on a nonconducting surface like wood. To prevent the gold leaf from drafts of air it is kept in a glass bottle.

Since electroscope is used to detect the presence of charge. Gold leaf electroscope was developed by abraham bennet in the year 1787 which is more sensitive than pith ball electroscope. It is also determine the type of charge. Electroscopes are placed in a glass case to diminish the effects of wind and ions in the air.

Abraham bennet a clergyman and man of science first described the instrument in philosophical transactions in 1787. It consists of a vertical metal rod usually brass from the end of which hang two parallel strips of thin flexible gold leaf a disk or ball terminal is attached to the top of the rod where the charge to be.