Embedded Files
Core Understandings:
Core Understandings:
Essential idea: When charges move an electric current is created.
Nature of science:
Modelling: Electrical theory demonstrates the scientific thought involved in the development of a microscopic model (behaviour of charge carriers) from macroscopic observation. The historical development and refinement of these scientific ideas when the microscopic properties were unknown and unobservable is testament to the deep thinking shown by the scientists of the time. (1.10)
Understandings:
Charge
Electric field
Coulomb’s law
Electric current
Direct current (dc)
Potential difference
Applications and skills:
Identifying two forms of charge and the direction of the forces between them
Solving problems involving electric fields and Coulomb’s law
Calculating work done in an electric field in both joules and electronvolts
Identifying sign and nature of charge carriers in a metal
Identifying drift speed of charge carriers
Solving problems using the drift speed equation
Solving problems involving current, potential difference and charge
Guidance:
Students will be expected to apply Coulomb’s law for a range of permittivity values
Data booklet reference:
International-mindedness:
Electricity and its benefits have an unparalleled power to transform society
Theory of knowledge:
Early scientists identified positive charges as the charge carriers in metals; however, the discovery of the electron led to the introduction of “conventional” current direction. Was this a suitable solution to a major shift in thinking? What role do paradigm shifts play in the progression of scientific knowledge?
Utilization:
Transferring energy from one place to another (see Chemistry option C and Physics topic 11)
Impact on the environment from electricity generation (see Physics topic 8 and Chemistry option sub-topic C2)
The comparison between the treatment of electric fields and gravitational fields (see Physics topic 10)
Aims:
Aim 2: electrical theory lies at the heart of much modern science and engineering
Aim 3: advances in electrical theory have brought immense change to all societies
Aim 6: experiments could include (but are not limited to): demonstrations showing the effect of an electric field (eg using semolina); simulations involving the placement of one or more point charges and determining the resultant field
Aim 7: use of computer simulations would enable students to measure microscopic interactions that are typically very difficult in a school laboratory situation
Resources:
Resources:
Concept Checks:
Concept Checks:
May be repeated until you achieve 80%.
Problem Solving:
Problem Solving:
Formative:
Formative:
Submit PDF to Google Classroom for Feedback.
2016_Topic_5.1_Sample_Exam_Problems.pdfNotes:
Notes:
2016_Topic_5_Notes_5.1.pdfAdditional Resources:
Additional Resources:
Important Vocabulary - Quizlet of Topic 5 Vocab
Conservation of Charge
Coulomb's Law Info
Video Lectures - Passionately Curious
Video Lectures - Andy's Physics Stuff
Extensive Notes (ppt)
Applications of Electric Fields and Electrostatics in Industry
Applications of Electric Fields and Electrostatics in Industry
Why is it important to study electric field lines if they are abstract constructs?
Why is it important to study electric field lines if they are abstract constructs?
Electric fields and electric field lines are abstract concepts that help visualize and model electromagnetic fields. While they are not physically real in the sense of being tangible entities, they provide a useful imaginary model for explaining electric and magnetic phenomena.
Some key points about electric fields and field lines:
• They represent the force field created by electric charges. The field lines show the direction of the field and strength at different points. They help map out the influence of charges in space.
• Field lines are imagined as continuous curves that are tangent to the field at every point. They never cross or intersect each other. They emerge from positive charges and terminate at negative charges.
• The closeness of field lines indicates stronger field strength, while sparse lines indicate weak field. Their density provides a visual metaphor for comparing field strengths at different points.
• Field lines help explain how charged objects interact with and influence each other at a distance via the electric field. For example, how oppositely charged objects attract each other along the field lines.
• Properties like divergence, convergence, loop, etc. of field lines help classify the field into different types, e.g. radial for spherical charges, linear for long charges, etc. This aids in visualizing field shapes.
• Animating field line diagrams helps in visualizing how the field changes and reconfigures as charges move around or are repositioned. This helps build intuition about electric fields and their dynamics.
• While imaginary, field line diagrams correlate well with the mathematical equations that actually describe electric fields. They provide a useful conceptual tool, not meant to represent physical reality.
• Field lines are a mathematical construct devised by physicists and philosophers to help gain intuitive insights into the concepts of fields, forces, influences and interactions in physics. They represent an imaginative tool, not physical entities.
In summary, electric field lines are imaginary lines of force that provide a useful visualization of electric fields and concepts like field direction, strength, divergence/convergence, etc. Even though they are not real, they facilitate building intuition and understanding of electric phenomena. They represent a conceptual metaphore, not physical reality.
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