John Canton improved the design by using lightweight pith balls suspended by linen threads. When charged, the balls would repel and move apart.
The is one of the earliest and most fundamental scientific instruments in the history of physics. Used primarily to detect the presence and nature of electric charge, it played a pivotal role in the discovery of the laws of electrostatics and the development of modern electrical theory. History and Invention electroscope
The story of the electroscope begins with , a British physician to Queen Elizabeth I, who is often called the "father of electricity". Around 1600, Gilbert invented the versorium , a pivoted metal needle that rotated when a charged object was brought near it. This was the first instrument designed to distinguish between magnetic and electrostatic attraction. John Canton improved the design by using lightweight
The fundamental principle of an electroscope is : like charges repel each other. Used primarily to detect the presence and nature
Developed by Abraham Bennet , this version replaced pith balls with two extremely thin, flexible strips of gold leaf. Gold's high conductivity and ability to be beaten into ultra-thin sheets made this the most sensitive electroscope of its time. How an Electroscope Works
In the 18th century, scientists sought more sensitive ways to detect charges: