Question

Experiments involving pithball electroscope what causes the pithball to move? a) the pithball material always hold a natural positive charge. b) electrons jump onto or off the neutral ball when a charged object comes close c) soon as an object approaches the pithball it repulsion d) the pithball material does not become charged but get caught between other objects.

Answer 1

Answer:

b) electrons jump onto or off the neutral ball when a charged object comes close

Explanation:

What causes a pithball to move is when "electrons jump onto or off the neutral ball when a charged object comes close".

The pithball electroscope is actually used to test if a body is charged or not. When a charged body is brought near the pithball, the ball moves. The movement of that charged body reveal that there are electrons it is carrying.

The pithball can actually be charged. It is charged by touching a charged object to it. This leads to some of the charges on the surface of the charged object moving to the surface of the ball. The pith-ball electroscope was invented by John Canton, a British schoolmaster and physicist in 1754.