Static Electricity Module

The Static Electricity module consists of 12 missions (assignments) that address such topics as atomic structure, the nature of charge, insulators, conductors, charging by the methods of friction, induction, and contact, interaction between charged objects, Coulomb's Law, electric fields, and electric field lines. The 12 missions and the corresponding objectives are listed below.  Tap a mission's name to begin.

 

Quick Links to Missions:

 

Mission Objectives:

Mission SE1: Charges and Atoms

• The student should be able to identify the location and charge of the three basic subatomic particles (electron, proton, and neutron).
• The student should be able to identify a charged object as having an imbalance of protons and electrons, identify the coulomb as the unit of charge, and identify the definition of insulators and conductors.

  

 

Mission SE2: Interactions Between Charged Objects

• The student should be able to identify the connection between the type of charge on an object and the type of interaction (attractive, repulsive, or none) with other objects.
• The student should be able to analyze known information about the charge interactions of a system of three balloons in order to draw a conclusion about the charge on one of the balloons.

 
 

Mission SE3: Triboelectric Charging

• The student should be able to describe the method of triboelectric charging, identify the result of this charging method, and explain triboelectric charging in terms of the conservation of charge and the direction of electron flow.
• The student should be able to relate the electron affinity of a material to the ultimate charge that a material acquires during the triboelectric charging process.

 
 

Mission SE4: Charging by Contact and the Grounding Process

• The student should be able to describe the method of contact charging, identify the result of contact charging, and explain contact charging in terms of the conservation of charge and the direction of electron flow.
• The student should be able to describe the grounding process and explain grounding in terms of the direction of electron flow.

 
 

Mission SE5: Charging by Induction - Pop Can Induction

• The student should be able to apply an understanding of the charging by induction method to describe the results of the pop-can induction activity.
• The student should be able to explain the results of the induction process by identifying the direction of the electron flow and the subsequent charge orientation during the various stages of the process.

 
 

Mission SE6: Charging by Induction - A Single Sphere

• The student should be able to apply an understanding of the charging by induction method to describe the results of the demonstration in which a single sphere becomes charged by induction.
• The student should be able to explain the results of the induction process by identifying the direction of the electron flow and the subsequent charge orientation during the various stages of the process.

 
 

Mission SE7: Charging by Induction - Electrophorus Plate

• The student should be able to apply an understanding of the charging by induction method to describe the results of the electrophorus lab.
• The student should be able to explain the results of the induction process by identifying the direction of the electron flow and the subsequent charge orientation during the various stages of the process.

 
 

Mission SE8: Coulomb's Law Equation as a Guide to Thinking

• The student should have a conceptual understanding of Coulomb's law and the factors which effect electrical force.
• The student should be able to use Coulomb's law in order to predict the effect of varying charge or distance upon the force between objects.

 
 

Mission SE9: Coulomb's Law Calculations

• The student should be able to use Coulomb's law to calculate the electric force between two objects if given their charges and distance of separation.
• The student should be able to algebraically manipulate the Coulomb's law equation in order to determine the distance of separation between two objects if given the electric force and their charges.

 
 

Mission SE10: Electric Field

• The student should be able to define electric field and recognize the variables which effect (and do not effect) the electric field intensity at a given location.
• The student should be able to use electric field equations and relatively simple numbers to determine the magnitude and the direction of the electric field intensity at a given location.

 
 

Mission SE11: Electric Field Equation

• The student should be able to use the inverse square law to predict the effect that an alteration of the distance from a charged object would have upon the electric field intensity.

 
 

Mission SE12: Electric Field Lines

• The student should be able to understand the concept of electric field lines and use their understanding to predict the electric field lines about a point charge or a configuration of point charges.
• The student should be able to infer information about the quantity of charge and type of charge on an object.

 

 

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