Question

A charged body is brought near an uncharged gold leaf electroscope. What will be your observation if the body is charged?

• A. leaves will diverge
• B. leaves will converge
• C. leaves will remain unaffected
• D. none

Answer 1

The correct option is A leaves will diverge

The electroscope is charged with a known charge, say with negative charge, by touching a negatively charged rod to the metal disc of the electroscope. The leaves of the electroscope open up, that is diverge. Now when the body to be tested is touched with the metal disc, the leaves either diverge more or collapse based on the nature of the body that is tested.
Therefore, the process of bringing a charged body near the uncharged electroscope is called as charging of the electroscope and the leaves of the electroscope diverge.
Hence, the leaves diverge in this case.