Electroscope

An electroscope is a special tool that helps scientists study electricity. Think of it like a toy that can tell you if there's electricity around.

It looks like a stick with some metal parts that move when electricity is nearby. At the top of the stick there are some metal leaves shaped like little fingers. These leaves hang down and don't touch anything.

When electricity gets near the electroscope, the leaves on top of the stick will move apart from each other. This happens because electricity makes the metal parts in the electroscope have an electric charge.

To make the electroscope work, scientists first have to make sure it's not charged before they use it. They do this by touching the metal parts on top with their fingers. This removes any extra charge that might be on the electroscope.

Then, they can start using it to study electricity! They'll put the electroscope near different objects that might have electricity around them, like a balloon that's been rubbed on a shirt to make static electricity. If the leaves on top of the electroscope move apart, that means there's electricity around!

Scientists can use the electroscope to learn more about electricity and how it works. They can even use it to test if something is a conductor or an insulator. Conductors are things that let electricity flow through them easily, like metal. Insulators are things that don't let electricity flow through them very well, like rubber. Scientists can touch the electroscope to different objects and see if the leaves move apart or not to figure out if something is a conductor or an insulator.