Question

An instrument used in electrostatics to detect the presence of electric charge on a body is called ..............

• A. leaf electroscope
• B. compound microscope
• C. telescope
• D. magnetoscope

Answer 1

The correct option is A leaf electroscope

An instrument used in electrostatics to detect the presence of electric charge on a body is called gold leaf electroscope.
A gold-leaf electroscope, which is an instrument for detecting electric charge. The electroscope is first discharged, and a charged object is then brought close to the instrument's top terminal. Induction causes a separation of the charges inside the electroscope's metal rod, so that the top terminal gains a net charge of opposite polarity to that of the object, while the gold leaves gain a charge of the same polarity. Since both leaves have the same charge, they repel each other and spread apart. The electroscope has not acquired a net charge: the charge within it has merely been redistributed, so if the charged object were to be moved away from the electroscope the leaves will come together again.