Learning & Teaching Workshop:PODS
DrJJ-FSG-UiTM. HP#: +60193551621.
Google Search: drjj. http://drjj.uitm.edu.my
Charges, Electric Field, Electric Potential
and Electric Forces
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Fakulti Sains Gunaan
A Physical Science Activity
Name:____________________________ HP: ____________________
:
Objective
Investigate the models of electric charges: the electric field it created, the electric force
exerted onto a test charges placed in the field, the electric potential (work done) onto a test
charge placed in the field and how it interacts with other surrounding charged particles.
Course Learning Outcome:
Students will be able to explain the concept of electric charges, electric field, electric forces,
electric potential and the influence of the charges and its electric field when interacting with
at least another charged particle of opposing type and of the same strength or of the same
type with the same strength or the of different strength. surrounding it.. Other outcomes can
include
 investigating skills such as asking questions and selecting those that are possible to
answer, provide a plausible answer, design an investigation to allow systematic
acceptance or rejection of that answer, collect and organize the data, making sense
of the data by transforming it and presenting it in a variety of ways to allow clear
communication of the results generate a model arising from the results and
eventually decide on the worth of the results in fulfilling the purpose of that
investigation.
 skills of using existing measuring devices
 skills of communicating and
 cooperative contribution and involvement in a team
The instructional approach will the 5Es: Engage-Explore-Explain-Elaborate-Evaluate
learning cycle. Exploration can be done in-class but I highly encourage it be done as an out
of class, prior to attending class activities.
EXPLORATION & ELABORATION stage will involve the use of PHeT simulation. You may
google PHeT and choose to run simulations “one at a time”. Download the Charges & Field,
Electric Field Hockey and Circuit Construction Kit (AC+DC) to your computer. YOU MUST HAVE
JAVA and FLASH installed on your computer to run the applications.
ENGAGEMENT begins by asking the students to respond to a Selected Response Instrument.
The purpose is to identify prior knowledge and understanding and possible misconceptions. We
will uxe only the electricity component of the CSEM (Conceptual Survey on Electricity &
Magnetism) and the first half of the ECCE (Electric Concepts and Circuits Evaluation) instrument.
EXPLORATION will involve guided discovery and the free simulation program, PHeT.
The exploration questions are used to guide your inquiry. Upon completion, you will be able
describe the observation related to behavior of electric field, electric forces and electric potential
fora single isolated charge and for 2 charges placed along the horizontal.
EXPLANATION stage will be done via interactive engagement after the EXPLORATION stage
has been completed.
Created by Dr. JJ, FSG, UiTM Shah Alam
Page 1 of 3
3/21/2016
Learning & Teaching Workshop:PODS
DrJJ-FSG-UiTM. HP#: +60193551621.
Google Search: drjj. http://drjj.uitm.edu.my
Time required: Three 40 minutes period.
Course Learning
Outcome
Performance Criteria [How do we
know learners have achieved the
LO?]. They are able to
competently and accurately
Learning &
Teaching
Activities
Students will be
able to explain the
concept of electric
charges, electric
field, electric
forces, electric
potential and the
influence of the
charges and its
electric field when
interacting with at
least another
charged particle of
opposing type and
of the same
strength or of the
same type with the
same strength or
the of different
strength.
surrounding it.
Define charged materials, charged
particles, test charges, electric field,
electric forces and electric potential.
Read aloud to
peers in a
cooperative
learning
session.
 Guided
investigation
 Cooperative
Learning
 Short
constructed
response.
formative quiz
 Guided
investigation
 Cooperative
Learning
 Short
constructed
response.
formative quiz
 Guided
investigation
 Cooperative
Learning
 Short
constructed
response.
formative quiz
Draw schematic and scaled
representations of electric fields
produced by a single isolated charged
particle and by two charged particles
placed near each other.
Deduce a model on how electric field is
generated and changed around different
combination of charged particles
arrangement.
Draw schematic and scaled
representations of electric potential
created by a single isolated positively
and negatively charged particle and by a
2-charge particle combination.
Deduce a model on how electric
potential behave around charged
particles
Draw schematic and scaled
representations of electric forces
exerted by a single isolated charged
particle and by two charged particles on
a test charge.
Assessment
Tasks [how
much & how
well]

Concept
Mapping
Deduce a model on how electric fields
around different combination of charged
particles arrangement affect the forces
experienced by test charges
Activity 1:
Use PHeT Charge & Field (for electric field and potential exploration) and the Electric
Field Hockey (for the electric force exploration) simulation program
Before you begin exploring and answering each question, make your predictions based on
your prior experience or existing knowledge. Record your predictions (its like a hypothesis
but not quite since these phenomenon and relationship had already been discovered and
explained by scientists).
So, Predict, Explore/Observe, Accept/Reject/Discuss, Conclude/Synthesize (PEAC)
Created by Dr. JJ, FSG, UiTM Shah Alam
Page 2 of 3
3/21/2016
Learning & Teaching Workshop:PODS
DrJJ-FSG-UiTM. HP#: +60193551621.
Google Search: drjj. http://drjj.uitm.edu.my
Sample of Investigative/Exploration Questions.
1. How does the length of the electric field change as you go further from the charge?
2. How does the direction of the field and the length of the field change when an
oppositely charged particle is substituted in place of the existing charge?
3. What does the length represent?
4. How does the E field behave when two equal type or oppositely charged particles are
placed near each other? How does it change when the charges are brought closer
together or brought further away? Is there a point along the horizontal line where
E=0? Where? How would you explain the observation?
5. How does the electric potential change when you performed the activities in trying to
answer question 1 thru question 4?
6. What observation did you make when you conducted the Electric Field Hockey
simulation?
STOP EXPLORING. You are now at Stage 3 of the 5E cycle. EXPLAIN your observation
7. How does the electric field and the electric potential produced by a charged particle
change when the amount of charge is changed or when the position measurement is
made is made bigger or smaller? Describe.
8. How does the electric force produced by a charged particle change when the amount
of charge is changed or when the position measurement is made is made bigger or
smaller? Describe.
9. Where, if any, and with which charge configuration, will the E field become zero?
Explain why this happens.
10. Where, if any, and which charge configuration, will the electric potential become
zero? Explain why this happens. (You may add more questions as you go along)….
The remainder of this exploration is stage 4 of the cycle, the ELABORATE stage
11. How will adding another charge along the horizontal or along the vertical affect the
electric field, electric force and the electric potential at a position you have measured
before? Why does it happen? (You may add more questions as you go along)….
EVALUATE (ASSESS): At this point you can assess the students to further identify what
more needs to be done to help them understand and be able to implement the principles of
electrostatics to new scenarios. Graphic organizer is helpful in organizing and representing
conceptual understanding. Constructed response instrument is helpful to observe thinking
pattern and the reasoning that are used to provide the response. Selected response
instrument used for the pretest can now be used again as a posttest.
After completing the above activity, craft a lesson plan that you will use for your next class.
1. Choose a theme/unit from PHeT that aligns with the syllabus. (for example DC
circuits (simple & complex).
2. Decide on the learning objective.
3. Craft the appropriate learning outcomes (limited to only 3).
4. Choose an existing engagement instrument to identify prior knowledge.
5. Craft the learning questions for each stage of the learning process.
6. Choose the most appropriate assessment instrument you use to assess the learning.
Created by Dr. JJ, FSG, UiTM Shah Alam
Page 3 of 3
3/21/2016