A device for detecting electric charge and for identifying its polarity. In the gold-leaf electroscope two rectangular gold leaves are attached to the end of a conducting rod held in an insulated frame. When a charge is applied to a plate attached to the other end of the conducting rod, the leaves move apart owing to the mutual repulsion of the like charges they have received.
An electrostatic instrument that detects small potential differences and electric charges. The gold-leaf electroscope consists of a pair of gold leaves hanging side by side from an insulated metal support enclosed in a draught-proof case. If a charge is supplied to the support the leaves separate due to their mutual repulsion. A more precise form replaces one of the gold leaves by a rigid metal plate (see diagram). Lauritzen’s electroscope utilizes metallized quartz fibre as the sensitive element.
An instrument that is capable of accurate quantitative measurement of potential difference is called an electrometer.
Gold-leaf electroscopes
- oolite
- oolith
- oolitic
- oolitic limestone
- oomicrite
- oomoldic porosity
- oomouldic porosity
- Oomycota
- OOP
- Oort Cloud
- Oort cloud
- Oort, Jan Hendrik
- Oort, Jan Hendrik (1900–1992)
- Oort’s constants
- oosparite
- oosphere
- oospore
- Oosterhoff group
- Ootacamund Radio Astronomy Centre
- ootid
- ooze
- OP
- Op
- opacity
- opacity and transparency