Describe with the help of a diagram an instrument which can be used to detect a charged body.

The instrument used to detect a charged body is known as electroscope.

It consists of a metal rod on which two leaves of aluminium foil are fixed to one end and a metal disc at the other end. The leaves are kept inside a conical flask, and it is corked to isolate them from the atmospheric air.

When a charged body comes in contact with the metal disc, the aluminium leaves move away from each other because some charges get transferred to aluminium leaves through the metal rod. This process is called charging by conduction. The charges on the leaves and the charged body are of the same nature, and thus, the leaves of aluminium repel each other. If the body is not charged then they would attract each other.