Question

An inquisitive student touches an electroscope with his finger, and a second student then brings a charged plexiglass rod near the electroscope but does not touch it. The first student removes his finger from the electroscope before the second student removes the plexiglass. Meanwhile a third student touches a different electroscope with a charged PVC pipe. Are both electroscopes charged? If so, are they the same charge or different charges? Explain your reasoning. Feel free to include any drawings or diagrams.

Answer 1

Answer:- Yes, both electroscopes are charged.

They are oppositely charged.

Explanation:-

The plexiglass is positively charged. So, it attracts the electrons (negative charge) of the electroscope to the plate of the electroscope and this negative charge moves to the Earth through the body of the first student. The excess positive charge remains on the electroscope and hence, the electroscope is also positively charged by induction method.

Meanwhile, the PVC pipe is negatively charged. Hence, when the electroscope is touched with the PVC pipe, the electroscope also becomes negatively charged by conduction method.