Identifying Charges Using a Pith-ball Electroscope?

[Quarks.]

Question:
Can you use a pith-ball electroscope, to determine the charge of an unknown object?

Is it possible?

 

[Simon Bridge]

Welcome to PF.

Can you use a pith-ball electroscope, to determine the charge of an unknown object?

Yes. It is possible. xD
http://www.execulink.com/~ekimmel/central/pithlab.htm

 

[Quarks.]

Welcome to PF.
Yes. It is possible. xD
http://www.execulink.com/~ekimmel/central/pithlab.htm

How would this be done?

 

[Simon Bridge]

The link has a guide for experiments ... you do it by using your knowledge of electric charges.

You know that like charges repel and opposites attract.
You know the force is proportional to the size of the charge.
You know which sort of static electricity is positive and which negative.
So what's the problem?

This is, historically, how electricity was investigated.
Also - there are demos on youtube - honestly, anyone would think you weren't sitting in front of a computer :)