Physics First: "Static" Electricity Units
Characteristics of "static" electricity include: 1) The number of of positive and negative electric charges within a material may not be equal, 2) voltage is high and current is low, 3) electrical forces (attraction and repulsion) can reach across great distances, and 4) electric fields (as opposed to magnetic fields) become very important. (Electric fields are also called "electrostatic fields" or "e-fields." Units are not listed in a prescribed order.
Teaching About Electrostatics (6)
Lesson Plans:
This lesson plan for beginners includes a creative update of the "Kissing Balloon", plus three activities designed to enhance student understanding of electric charge, electron transfer, and polarization. Try teaming it with Chasing Cheerios below.
Level: Grades 8-9
Duration: 1-2 Class Periods
This lesson plan features the neon bulb, an object that can be lighted either by electric current or by static charge. Accompanied by detailed background information, this lesson promotes conceptual understanding of electron transfer. It includes printable data sheets for use in the physics classroom. No math is required.
Level: Grades 8-10
Duration: One Class Period
References and Collections:
This unique resource integrates the scientific work of Ben Franklin with lab guides for replicating historic experiments in secondary classrooms. This introductory section describes the history of Franklin's work, and provides details of the equipment that will be used for the entire unit.
Level: Grades 6-12
Content Support For Teachers:
Common misconceptions about the topic of electrostatics are fully explored in this resource for both teachers and learners. The author debunks more than a dozen myths as he offers comprehensive explanations of related phenomena.
The study of lightning is an exciting way to learn about electric field and charge. During a thunderstorm, separation of charge produces enormous electrical potential both within the cloud and between the cloud and ground. Eventually the electrical resistance in the air breaks down and a flash begins. This NASA resource is a complete "primer" on the subject of lightning -- it explains the lightning discharge process, modern data collection, and a brief history of the scientific study of lightning.
Student Tutorials:
What happens when a charged object is brought near a neutral conducting object? This animation will help your students visualize the process of induction. It was developed by the author of The Physics Classroom tutorials for high school physics.
Level: High School Physics
Electric Field (6)
Lesson Plans:
This outstanding resource integrates Java-based models of electrostatics with standards-based lesson plans and student worksheets. Your students will have fun moving charges around to investigate interaction of charged particles and watch as electric field lines are generated. The worksheets offer them structured guidance.
Level: Grades 7-12
Activities:
The Exploratorium "snacks" are miniature versions of popular exhibits at the museum, all do-able with inexpensive materials. For electrostatics, click on "Charge and Carry", "Electroscope", and "Holding Charge".
Level: Grades 6-12
In this game-like environment, students place positive and negative charges on a simulated ice field. Getting the puck into the goal can be easy or complicated, depending upon the charge interaction. Editor's Note: See "Lesson Plans" above for clicker questions and a student guide developed to accompany this simulation. Note: This model is available only in Java at this time.
Level: Grades 9-12
The concept of electric field can be very difficult for beginners. This package of Java simulations allows students to move charges around and see the force; observe the electric field generated by charge configurations; and observe the motion of test particles in electric fields. Includes instructor's guides and printable student worksheets. The package was created for use in middle school and 9th grade physical science, but can be adapted for high school conceptual physics.
Level: Grades 7-12
Duration: Multi-Day
Now in HTML5 Learners move charges around a simulated electric field to determine how certain variables affect interactions among charged bodies. Drag positive and negative charges onto the field and watch the resulting field lines. We like this model because it's easily adaptable for the middle school learner. It specifically meets NGSS content standard MS-PS2.B.ii about the relationship between field strength and distances between the interacting objects.
Level: Grades 6-8
Duration: One Class Period
This set of three models would be a great choice for an inquiry-based exploration of electric field strength, attraction/repulsion between positive and negative charges, and factors that affect the direction of field lines. We recommend allowing one class period for students to explore the models before introducing labs on electrostatics. Each model includes accompanying problem sets.
Level: Grades 9-12
Duration: One Class Period
Electric Force (6)
Activities:
Inverse relationships are common in nature. In electrostatics, the electrical force between 2 charged objects is inversely related to the distance that separates them. This interactive tutorial from The Physics Classroom is the best we've found on the web for exploring and applying the inverse square law to electrostatics forces.
Level: Grades 9-12
Many students have difficulty understanding the interactions that cause an electric force between charges. It helps if they begin their investigation with a very simple 1-D representation of the electric force that one particle exerts on another. The user sets the amount of charge so that the particles can either attract or repel; then vector arrows appear to show the amount of force on each particle. One particle can be moved left or right along the line to see the effect of distance on the force. With one click, students can see a graph of the electric force as a function of position.
Level: High School
This newer mobile-friendly PhET sim lets students use either a macroscopic or atomic-scale view to investigate variables that affect the electrostatic force between two charged objects. Key takeaways: 1) Opposite charges attract and like charges repel; 2) Magnitude of force is related to quantity of charge and distance between the interacting objects; and 3) Newton's Third Law is applicable to electrostatic forces. Teachers: This model could be a great way to help your students explore why Coulomb's Law works mathematically.
Level: Grades 8-12
Duration: 30-40 minutes
References and Collections:
This is a wonderful collection of materials on the scientific works of Benjamin Franklin, integrating historical background with descriptions of the actual lab experiments. The lab guides explain how to set up identical (or very similar) experiments in the classroom and provides video how-to's for several lessons.
Level: Grades 6-12
Student Tutorials:
This interactive tutorial, part of The Physics Classroom, does a first-rate job of explaining the concepts underlying Coulomb's Law.
Level: High School
Duration: 30 minutes
This short biography on Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (1736-1806) gives background on the pioneer's work, which resulted in the fundamental physics law named after him. Coulomb's Law states: the electric force between charged objects inversely depends upon the distance between the objects. This tutorial helps students understand this relationship.
Level: Grades 6-12
Capacitors and their Effect on Electricity (3)
Activities:
This is one of the best simulations we've seen to illustrate what happens at the particle level inside the two plates of a parallel capacitor. Students can set the number and magnitude of charges within each capacitor, then watch the charges distribute themselves along the outer edges of their enclosures. A great visualization of the Coulomb force in action.
Level: Grades 9-12
Content Support For Teachers:
This resource blends text with interactive java simulations to provide an excellent overview of the topic of capacitance. It includes descriptions of how electric capacitors work and introduces simple calculations.
Level: High School
Student Tutorials:
Capacitors are electrical devices designed to store electric charge. In this interactive java tutorial, students explore factors affecting capacitance and gain understanding of how it is related to electrostatic force field.
Level: High School
Charge Interaction (10)
Lesson Plans:
Looking for a truly interactive lesson on electric field? This package was developed by an award-winning high school teacher to accompany the PhET simulation Electric Field Hockey. Students place electric charges on a simulated ice field, then use their understanding of charge interaction to guide a hockey puck into a goal. The lesson integrates the game with free-body diagrams and vector addition.
Level: Grades 9-12
Activities:
This animation illustrates the effect when a negatively-charged balloon is brought near two neutral conducting spheres.
Level: Grades 9-12
In this game-like environment, students place positive and negative charges on a simulated ice field. Getting the puck into the goal can be easy or complicated, depending upon the charge interaction. See "Lesson Plans" above for a great set of teacher-created materials that supplement this simulation -- student guide, clicker questions, and more.
Level: Grades 9-12
An outstanding, yet simple, simulation to help students visualize electric force as a vector with magnitude and direction. It features two particles with opposite charge. Change the position and magnitude of either charge and watch the electric field respond. The field can be viewed as "grass seeds", electric potential lines, or vector field.
Level: Grades 9-12
Explore static electricity by rubbing a virtual balloon on a sweater, then on an adjacent wall. The interactions among the sweater, balloon, and wall illustrate charge transfer and polarization. See "PhET Teacher Ideas" directly below for a step-by-step student guide to use with this simulation.
Level: Grades 6-12
This printable student guide was developed specifically for use with the PhET simulation "Balloons and Static Electricity". It gives explicit directions for set-up, plus open-ended questions to help kids explore charge interactions. See the item directly above for a link to the simulation, which must be open in a browser to complete this activity.
Level: Grades 6-10
Duration: One Class Period
References and Collections:
The Van de Graaff generator, invented in 1929, is an example of a nearly ideal current source, as it can supply the same small current at almost any electric potential. This site offers information needed to understand the operation and maintenance of Van de Graaff generators. The author includes helpful hints for classroom demonstrations.
Content Support For Teachers:
What happens when a charged object is brought near a neutral conducting object? Electrons in the conductor are forced (induced) to move about the sphere, as they are repelled by a negatively-charged tube. Once the ground is touched to the sphere, the electrons leave the sphere and move through the ground. Now, the sphere acquires a positive charge.
Level: High School
Duration: 20 minutes
This NASA resource is a complete "primer" on the subject of lightning. It includes an easily understood description of the lightning discharge process, modern data collection,and a brief history of the scientific study of lightning.
Student Tutorials:
This multimedia resource from NOVA explores the electrostatic forces that cause lightning. It features a nine-minute Flash video, an interactive tutorial on varieties of lightning, an "Ask the Expert" question-answer session, and background information for teachers.
Level: Grades 6-12
Duration: One Class Period
Franklin and Electrostatics (6)
Activities:
Franklin's second letter about transfer of electrical fluid in Leyden jars is accompanied by descriptions for setting up the experiments in a classroom.
Level: Grades 9-12
Duration: One class period
This item highlights Benjamin Franklin's historic first letter about points and Leyden jar experiments, describing how to set up the labs in the classroom.
Level: Grades 9-12
Duration: One Class Period
This item integrates a third historic Franklin letter with directions on how to construct a flat-plate capacitor and an electrostatic motor.
Level: Grades 9-12
Duration: One Class Period
Franklin's theory of atmospheric electrification is highlighted, with diagrams and annotations to enhance student understanding.
Level: Grades 9-12
Duration: One Class Period
This item highlights Ben Franklin's proposal to experiment with the lightning rod. Historic text is augmented with detailed diagrams, photos, and editorial explanations.
Level: Grades 9-12
Duration: One Class Period
References and Collections:
This is the introductory segment of materials by author Robert Morse on the scientific works of Benjamin Franklin. It integrates historical background and primary source documents alongside lesson plans for setting up identical (or very similar) experiments in the classroom. It includes a template for building a generator, plus video how-to's for several lessons.
Level: Grades 6-12
Static Electricity for the Early Grades (3)
Activities:
This simulation is fun for teachers and students alike. Rub the virtual balloon against the sweater and watch the charge transfer from the wool to the balloon. Then move the balloon to an adjacent wall with neutral charge -- kids will see an interaction they probably won't expect. These interactions among the sweater, balloon, and wall will help students understand that opposites attract in charge interactions, while identical charges repel. Just as important, the model shows that charge is conserved.....the electrons are separated and transferred somewhere else.
Level: Grades 4-9
Duration: 20-30 minutes
Content Support For Teachers:
Looking for a refresher on the basics of electrostatics? This tutorial from The Physics Classroom does a solid job with explaining basic charge interactions, electric force and Coulomb's Law, electric field and action-at-a-distance, and methods of charging.
Assessment:
This free 8-part video workshop addresses all aspects of science assessment: embedded and authentic assessment techniques, math/science integration, and information about assessment reform. It can be freely downloaded in a WMP format.
Electrostatic Induction (1)
Activities:
This Java simulation from MIT is one of our top choices to model the process of electrostatic induction. It breaks the process down into steps: charge separation within the conductor, grounding of charge, and ungrounding. It gives students an especially rich experience, as they can observe the changing electric field as "grass seeds", electric potential lines, or in a 3D view.
Level: High School
Duration: 20-30 minutes
