- 1). Cut the copper wire about 12 inches long. Twist one end into a spiral and leave the other end straight.
- 2). Cut out two identical pieces of aluminum foil, about the size of a quarter. Punch a small hole in the top of each piece, large enough to slip over the copper wire later in the construction process. Smooth the foil carefully.
- 3). Cut the plastic container lid, such as you would find on a deli container, so that it just covers the top of the jar. Poke a hole in the center of the lid. Cut the plastic tube to a length of about three inches, then put it through the hole in the center of the plastic lid.
- 4). Slide the straight end of the copper wire through the straw in the plastic lid. Make a hook at the end of the wire, and slide the aluminum disks onto the hook.
- 5). Place the lid on the glass jar, with the aluminum disks hanging in the jar. Tape the lid on the jar. Bend the wire to a 90-degree angle so that the spiral faces to the side rather than straight up into the air.
- 6). Put the electroscope close to a color television or other radiation-emitting device to test it. The aluminum disks should spread apart in the jar. The electroscope will also respond to static electricity.
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