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What happens with the elecroscope?

So an electroscope is filled with positive charges. Later, a negative charged stick is being held near the electroscope. What happens after that?

My first guess was that the positive charges will get attracted to the charges in the stick, but apparently it's the other way around?
Original post by Nothinghere21
So an electroscope is filled with positive charges. Later, a negative charged stick is being held near the electroscope. What happens after that?

My first guess was that the positive charges will get attracted to the charges in the stick, but apparently it's the other way around?

Protons carry positive charge and are part of an element's atomic nucleus. They cannot migrate and are fixed in position by the atomic structure of the gold leaf (element).

Electrons carry negative charge and are free to migrate and hence these are the charge carriers that move attracted to the fixed positive charge.

Think lightning strike: it's the electrons that migrate and create the lightning flash.
(edited 3 years ago)

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