Unit Title Fields and Forces

Teacher Angelique Hiscox

Dates/Length of Unit G11 Term 2 April/May 8 lessons
Content Objectives
State Newtons universal law of gravitation.
Define gravitational field strength
Determine the gravitational field due to one or more point masses
Derive an expression for gravitational field strength at the surface of a planet, assuming that all its mass
is concentrated at its centre.
Solve problems involving gravitational forces and fields
State that there are two types of electric charge
State and apply the law of conservation of charge
Describe and explain the difference in the electrical properties of conductors and insulators.
State Coulombs law.
Define electric field strength.
Determine the electric field strength due to one or more point charges
Draw the electric field patterns for different charge configurations.
Solve problems involving electric charges, forces and fields
State that moving charges give rise to magnetic fields.
Draw magnetic field patterns due to currents.
Determine the direction of the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field.
Determine the direction of the force on a charge moving in a magnetic field.
Define the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field.
Solve problems involving magnetic forces, fields and currents.

Summative Tasks
Electromagnet design IA - Students will formulate a research question and design and perform an
experiment to investigate one factor that will affect the strength of an electromagnet
End of term exam
Monitoring of Learning
What diagnostics to determine students prior knowledge were used in the unit?
What formative assessment tasks were used to monitor progress?
What methods of peer- and self-assessment were used?
Magnets used for a hands on exploration task KWL chart on the board
Take home formative unit test peer marked
Use of online simulations for monitoring knowledge acquisition
Vocabulary
IB required definitions: Gravitational field strength, Coulombs Law, Electric field strength, magnetic
field, electric charge, positive charge, negative charge, neutral charge, conductors, insulators,
electrostatic induction, electroscope, , electric field, electric field patterns, Newton's gravitational law,
magnetic force, solenoid, right-hand rule
TOK Linking Questions Learner Profile
What TOK linking questions were explicitly used in the unit? What explicit connections to the Learner Profile
Newtons Law is called The Universal law which means it were made?
applies to everything in the universe. This is a bold claim; Thinker: Fields and Forces is conceptually a
Can we really claim to know if this law applies to every difficult unit as students are not able to see
body in the Universe? Lead into discussion on what the field lines. Students need to consider the
universe is expanding into. Isnt saying it is nothing just as importance of using models and diagrams
valid as saying it is not nothing? when something doesnt actually exist.
Field lines do not exist but just help us visualize the field, Communicator: Verbal explanation of the
why do we need to be able to visualize it? What about steps required to solve a problem as well as
blind people, how do they visualize fields? written answers (full working out shows
Why does a ball fall? Because of gravity. What is gravity? understanding of the process)
The thing that makes the ball fall.
Isn't it convenient that matter is made of + and - charge
that add and cancel just like numbers. If there had been a
3rd type * and you had to have a +, - and a * to produce a
neutral body then we couldn't use numbers to represent
them. Is our number system the same as the charges by
chance or is there something more deep rooted? Did we
come up with the model of charge because our number
system works like that or does our number system work
like it does because our brains are made of two charges?
Is it accurate to say that much of science investigates
entities and concepts beyond everyday experience of
the world, such as the nature and behaviour of
electromagnetic fields, subatomic particles or the space-
time continuum? To what extent do these entities
actually exist? What consequences might questions
about the reality of these entities have for the public
perception and understanding of science?
Science sometimes refer to non-existing entities in the
same way as to existing ones (e.g. the field lines go out
from the north pole and into the south pole) which may
be confusing
- philosophical constructivist: there are no actually
existing objects
Instructional Activities Differentiated Learning
Introductory Lesson Describe how a range of learning needs and
Inverse Square Law WS styles have been addressed in the teaching of
Vocab expectations students to find twenty this unit. (Do not mention student names.)
How were experiences made relevant for
words in the unit to define and are to record
students?
these in the front of the NP
Use of simulations aids students who are
Gravitational forces and fields
visual learners
Minute Physics: What is gravity video
Use of modeling of different field types so
NP p4-6 that students is able to make detailed and
Pptsilde 1-12 accurate comparisons.
The work of Henry Cavendish WS
Gravitation and the Solar System WS
Best idea ever (Newton and Gravity short clip)
Textbook p127-131
phET Gravity Force Lab
Common Physics Misconceptions Clip
Electric forces and fields
Section started with phET Static electricity
(Balloons) + Balloons demo (Van der Graaf)
phET: Electric Field Hockey
NP p7-21
Pptsilde 13-59
Coloumbs Law WS
The force between electric charges WS
Electric field forces WS
Textbook Chapter 5.1
Norton Physics: Coloumbs Law, Electric Charge,
Electric Fields
Magnetic fields
phET: magnet and compass
NP p22-27
Investigating magnetic force lab (vernier
magnetic sensor, solenoid, magnets and iron
filings board)
Forces between magnetic poles WS
Charged particles and magnetic fields WS
Circular Motion Review
Circular Motion WS
The laws of Kepler and Newton WS
Resources
Text Based:
Tsokos Physics Textbook p127-131 (Q1-8), chapter 5.1, Chapter 5.6 (p336-349)
Worksheets:
Inverse Square Law
The work of Henry Cavendish
Gravitation and the Solar System (p 11 interpreting data in physics book 2)
Coloumbs Law
The force between electric charges (p 12 interpreting data in physics book 2)
Electric field forces
Forces between magnetic poles (p35 interpreting data in senior physics)
Charged particles and magnetic fields (p 13 interpreting data in physics book 2)
Circular Motion
The laws of Kepler and Newton
Web Based:
phET website: Gravity force lab, Magnet and Compass, electric field hockey
Norton Physics website: Coloumbs Law, Electric Charge, Electric Fields
Minute Physics: What is gravity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_o4aY7xkXg
Best idea ever (Newton and Gravity short clip) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwPc0kK9VHU
Common Physics Misconceptions Clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM630Z8lho8
Electronic Copy:
Fields and Forces Note Package
Fields and Forces ppt

Unit Reflection
What worked successfully in this unit?
Where can improvement be made?
What opportunities for reflection on human commonality, diversity and multiple perspectives was (or potentially
could have been) provided in the unit?
What interdisciplinary links and collaboration opportunities were (or potentially could have been) taken advantage
of?
What individual, local, national and world issues were (or potentially could have been) addressed in the unit?
What opportunities for reflection on human commonality, diversity and multiple perspectives were (or potentially
could have been) provided?
Improvements: The PowerPoint needs to be updated to include more practice questions / worked
answers + note package needs to have worksheets scanned + more questions added.

For magnetic forces http://www.absorblearning.com/physics/demo/units/DJFPh054.html#Introduction

Contextual link Bangkok has a lot of storms with lightning. Explore what forms lightning and why
Bangkok has so many storms.
Contextual link Electrostatic paint spraying and changes in the car making industry

Could do a task on Kepler, we derive Keplers law using Newtonian Physics but Kepler mad his
discoveries before the birth of Newton how did he drive his formulas