The diagram shows a positively charged gold leaf electroscope - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 9 - 2018
Question 9
The diagram shows a positively charged gold leaf electroscope.
(i) State Coulomb’s law of force between charges.
(ii) State one use of an electroscope.
(iii) How ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The diagram shows a positively charged gold leaf electroscope - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 9 - 2018
Step 1
State Coulomb’s law of force between charges.
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Answer
Coulomb’s law states that the force of attraction or repulsion between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:
F=kr2∣q1q2∣
where:
F is the magnitude of the force between the charges,
q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the charges,
r is the distance between the charges,
k is Coulomb’s constant.
Step 2
State one use of an electroscope.
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Answer
One use of an electroscope is to test for electric charge, where it can indicate whether an object is positively or negatively charged.
Step 3
How can an electroscope be given a positive charge?
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Answer
An electroscope can be given a positive charge by touching the cap with a positively charged conductor. This allows some positive charge to transfer to the electroscope, resulting in it becoming positively charged.
Step 4
What is observed when the cap of a charged electroscope is earthed?
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Answer
When the cap of a charged electroscope is earthed, the leaves of the electroscope collapse or fall.
Step 5
Explain this observation.
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This occurs because the charges move between the earth and the cap. If the electroscope is positively charged, electrons from the earth will flow into the electroscope, neutralizing the positive charge and causing the leaves to collapse.
Step 6
How could the cap of the electroscope be earthed?
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Answer
The cap of the electroscope can be earthed by touching it with a conductor or a finger, allowing charge to flow between the electroscope and the ground.
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