Conceptual Physics

http://mrlafazia.com/PHYS111/lessons/201011Fall/PHYS111_26.ppt

TUESDAY November 23rd, 2010LESSON GOALS:

• Discuss electrical background (think & share, and then general discussion)• Go over important definitions and their applications

• include units for quantities (when applicable)• Demonstrate 3 different ways to gain/give charge• Demonstrate Van de graaff Generator use• Take notes on Parallel and Series circuits• Take notes on Ohm’s Law and Power calculations• Complete Interactive Physics lab exploration on charged particles• Take quick quiz on Ohm’s Law• Recite Simply Shocking poem

1/11

Discussion: Electricity“What do you think of first when you hear the

word electricity? Describe a direct experience you have had with electricity.” (Share your thoughts with a fellow student).

Teacher-led Discussion:• “Why do most people hire electricians”?

– what does “electricity” actually do to you...• …on the small scale?• …on the large scale?

2/11

Important Vocabulary to Discuss (Part 1 of 2)

Charge (difficult to truly define) – consider it simply how “positive” or “negative” (if not neutral) an object is. For us, this is considered to be due to an imbalance of electrons and protons.

Unit of Charge?

Conductor, Semi-conductor, Insulator, and Super-ConductorWhat are their characteristics, and when are they usually used?

Electric Field – discuss “positive test charge” (we will use this on our lab, today) and draw out “electric field lines.”

Units?

Electric PE (and how does this relate to Voltage)?3/11

3 Methods of “Charging”Demonstrations on the following:

Charge by frictionCharge by conductionCharge by induction (see “FIRST” note, below)

(FIRST, Consider “Coulomb’s Law” – don’t bother with the math, just get the inverse-square relationship…will need to prove this relationship in lab, today, as well).

(Define all of these, and know when they are occurring).Danger: Many times they are used together, but they are certainly happening at different times for the affected charges!

4/11

Important Vocabulary to Discuss (Part 2 of 2)

CurrentUnit of current?

ResistanceUnit of resistance?

Alternating and Direct Current (AC & DC, like the band)

What do graphs of these look like (Current vs. time)?Where do we USE these different types of current?

Note: We can generate electricity based on the principle that electric and magnetic fields are closely dependent on each other. 5/11

Van de graaff discussion and demoHow does the generator work?

Demonstrations:Cup of Hanging Chads

a.k.a. the custodians hate me, nowElectric Field affect

a.k.a. Zeus’ lightning bolt

6/11

Circuitry: Series & ParallelOhm’s Law and Power calculation (as both equations and as triangles)

Simple sketch and rules for a series circuit.Give example on finding resistance and then power.Give example on finding current and then power.

Simple sketch and rules for a parallel circuit.Give example on finding resistance and then power.Give example on finding current and then power.

Where do we see these in our everyday lives?

7/11

Lab: ChargesUsing the Interactive Physics program, create the following situations

and record your results: (Note that you may need to decrease charge values if the results are too quick for you to notice!)

1) A single positively charged object, anchored, with a “positive test charge” placed at different points around it (draw the electric field for the anchored charge!)

2) A single negatively charged object, anchored, with a “positive test charge” placed at different points around it (draw the electric field for the anchored charge!)

3) Two unanchored positively charged objects some distance apart.4) Two unanchored (one positively and one negatively) charged objects some distance apart.

(Graph the velocity of one of the above objects (from #4) and show that the Force acting on these charges probably does follow a non-linear pattern (as suggested by the inverse-square relationship with distance from Coulomb’s Law).

5) Experiment with your own charge configuration and record what happens!

8/11

Quiz: Ohm’s Law

“A 4 Ω resistor is in parallel with an 8 Ω resistor. These are part of a circuit supplied with a voltage of 12 V. What current is running through the battery”?

9/11

Poem:Simply Shocking, by D. LaFazia

10/11

Looking Ahead:

11/11

• Next class (Tuesday, November 30th) we will cover Selected Topic #2 (fluid dynamics!) This is the only truly “math intensive” topic of the 3.