Lesson Plan: Electric Fields Physics
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to interpret diagrams of electric field lines and relate how the field lines are drawn to the strength and direction of the electric field.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- recognize and draw the field lines for the electric field produced by static positive and negative electric charges,
- recognize the field lines for the electric field produced by two static charges that are near to each other,
- recognize and draw the field lines for a uniform electric field,
- recall that the arrows on field lines indicate the direction of the electric field,
- recall that where field lines are closer together, the electric field is stronger,
- recall that electric field lines indicate the direction in which a positive test charge will move,
- recall that a negative test charge will move in the opposite direction to the field lines of an electric field,
- recall that a large, flat, charged sheet will produce an almost uniform electric field above it and below it,
- recall that two oppositely charged, large, flat plates positioned parallel to each other will produce a roughly uniform field between them.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- the electric charge,
- forces.
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- drawing the field lines for the electric field produced by multiple charges near to each other,
- moving charges,
- the calculation of the strength of direction of the electric field,
- any geometries other than a point charge and flat sheets of charge,
- integration,
- magnetic fields,
- gravitational fields,
- equipotentials,
- particles other than electrons, protons, and neutrons.
