electroscope

American  

[ih-lek-truh-skohp] / ɪˈlɛk trəˌskoʊp /

noun

1. a device for detecting the presence and determining the sign of electric charges by means of electrostatic attraction and repulsion, often between two pieces of gold leaf enclosed in a glass-walled chamber.

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electroscope British  

/ ɪˈlɛktrəʊˌskəʊp, ɪˌlɛktrəʊˈskɒpɪk /

noun

1. an apparatus for detecting an electric charge, typically consisting of a rod holding two gold foils that separate when a charge is applied

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• electroscopic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of electroscope

First recorded in 1815–25; electro- + -scope

Example Sentences

There, some are transferred to the positive rod by touch, leaving the electroscope with a net positive charge.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

However, while the rod is close, the electroscope is momentarily grounded and then the rod is removed.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

What happens to the charged electroscope when a conductor is moved between its plastic sheets, and why?

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

In his article he reproduces a strip of film from the automatic electroscope aboard the Settle-Fordney balloon, one of the few real trophies ever brought down from stratonauts' stunts aloft.

From Time Magazine Archive

Experiment IV.—Place a tin canister on a warm tumbler and connect it by a wire with the gold-leaf electroscope.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 3 "Electrostatics" to "Engis" by Various