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Jen is conducting an experiment involving a device known as a pith-ball electroscope, shown below.

The plastic ball of the electroscope hangs in midair and is uncharged. Charges cannot move along the silk thread that holds the ball in the air.
Jen completes the following steps in her experiment:

1- She collects three identical, uncharged rubber tubes.
2-She holds a magnet to the first tube for 5 minutes.
3-She submerges the second tube in a tank of water for 5 minutes.
4- She rubs the third tube with animal fur for 5 minutes.

Jen's teacher tells her that she can use the pith-ball electroscope to see if any of the rubber tubes are surrounded by an electric field. What should Jen do to test for an electric field surrounding each tube?

Jen is conducting an experiment involving a device known as a pith-ball electroscope-example-1
User Trinh Hieu
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2 Answers

12 votes

Answer:

bring each tube close to the plastic ball and note any movement of the ball

Step-by-step explanation:

Electric fields can exert forces on objects, even if the objects involved are not touching. One way to demonstrate that electric fields exist around charged objects is to observe the effects of their forces at a distance.

Since the plastic ball of the electroscope is made of insulating plastic and is uncharged, it will be attracted to any charged object brought near it. So Jen can observe the effects of the tube's electric fields by bringing each tube close to the plastic ball and noting any movement of the ball. If the ball moves toward a tube, then the process that Jen used on the tube generated an electric field.

User Adam Weber
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3.3k points
6 votes

Answer:

bring each tube close to the plastic ball and note any movement of the ball

Step-by-step explanation:

study island

just took the test!!!!!

User Asimes
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3.2k points