A student is performing an experiment that involves the charge on a metal sphere that is attached to a charged electroscope. A charged rod is brought near the sphere without touching it. As a result the leaves of the electroscope separate more. The rod is then removed, and the leaves return to their initial separated position. The student repeats the procedure, but this time the electroscope is grounded and the ground is removed before the rod is removed from near the sphere. The leaves again end up separated. What can be concluded about the charge on the separated leaves of the electroscope

The leaves have a charge in each experiment, but the sign of the charge cannot be determined.

Explanation:

In the first experiment, A charged rod is brought near the sphere without touching it. As a result the leaves of the electroscope separate more.

Thus indicates that there are charges involved. Now, like charges would repel like what is happening here but we don't know if they are both positive or negative because in both cases, they will still repel.

Now for the second experiment, electroscope is grounded and the ground is removed before the rod is removed from near the sphere. The leaves end up being separated again.

Similar to the first time, it's clear there are charges but the charges repel. Thus, they are the same sign charges but we don't know if they are both positive or negative.

Thus, in both cases we can conclude that the leaves have charges but we don't know their signs.

one "light year" is the distance that light travels, through vacuum, in one julian year.   that's 365.25 days, of 24 hours each.