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

• electroscopic adjective

Etymology

Origin of electroscope

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

Example Sentences

What is the net charge on the electroscope in the first experiment?

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Specifically, what would the leaves of the electroscope do if other charged objects were brought near its knob?

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

McKinley; Professor Auguste Piccard & aide ballooning into the stratosphere ten miles above Switzerland; Professor Erich Regener sending a free balloon with an electroscope 17� miles above Stuttgart.

From Time Magazine Archive

To repeat the experiment in modified form, let an electroscope be placed beneath a bird cage or wire netting, as in fig.

From Hawkins Electrical Guide, Number One Questions, Answers, & Illustrations, A Progressive Course of Study for Engineers, Electricians, Students and Those Desiring to acquire a Working Knowledge of Electricity and its Applications by Hawkins, Nehemiah