Figure 22.8 showed how an electroscope becomes negatively charged. The leaves will also repel each other if you touch the electroscope with a positively charged glass rod. Use a series of charge diagrams to explain what happens and why the leaves repel each other.
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Identify the initial state of the electroscope: Before touching it with the positively charged glass rod, the electroscope is neutral, meaning it has an equal number of protons (positive charges) and electrons (negative charges).
Understand the effect of the positively charged glass rod: When the positively charged glass rod comes into contact with the electroscope, it attracts the free electrons in the metal of the electroscope towards the top where the contact is made.
Recognize the redistribution of charge: As electrons move towards the top, the lower part of the electroscope becomes deficient in electrons and thus relatively positively charged.
Explain the repulsion of the leaves: Since the leaves of the electroscope are now both positively charged due to the deficiency of electrons, they repel each other because like charges repel according to Coulomb's Law.
Visualize the final state: The leaves stay apart as long as the imbalance of charge is maintained. Removing the glass rod or grounding the electroscope would allow the charges to redistribute evenly, returning the leaves to their uncharged, non-repelled state.