Electricity Web Simulations Day 1
Name Date Class
STANDARD: S8P5 Students will recognize characteristics of gravity, electricity and magnetism as major kinds of forces acting in nature.
Directions:
· Go to: http://phet.colorado.edu/new/simulations/index.php?cat=Electricity_Magnets_and_Circuits
· Or click on the link on my blog.
· You will complete several simulations in this lab. Always return to the above link to find the next simulation.
John Travoltage Simulation
Directions:
· Click on John Travoltage
· Click on Run Now.
1. Rub John Travoltage’s foot on the carpet and observe what happens. What is this called? Where have you seen this before? Explain why this happens.
2. After you stopped rubbing John Travoltage’s foot on the carpet, what happened to the charges in his body? Were the charges in his body positive or negative? Explain why the charges behaved as they did.
3. Now, touch John Travoltage’s hand to the doorknob. Observe what happens. Explain why this happens.
John Travoltage: Post-Lab Questions:
Write the letter of the correct answer on the blank provided.
_____ 1. Over time, all the negative charges in an object
a. remain clustered together where they were placed.
b. spread out over a small area on the object.
c. spread out over a large area on the object.
_____ 2. When a charged object touches a conductor,
a. the positive charges move to the conductor and exit the object.
b. the negative charges move to the conductor and exit the object.
c. both the positive and negative charges move to the conductor and exit the object.
d. neither the positive nor the negative charges move to the conductor and exit the object.
_____ 3. Based upon what you saw in this lab, it can be said that
a. a person cannot be shocked if they have an excess charge on them.
b. a person cannot be shocked if they have neutral charge.
c. a person can be shocked at any time because it doesn’t depend on the charge the person has.
d. a person can be shocked only if they have an excess charge.
Balloons & Static Electricity Simulation
Directions:
Page 1 of 4
Electricity Web Simulations Day 1
· Click on Balloons & Static Electricity
· Click on Run Now.
· Click on show all charges.
1. Play with the simulation and observe what happens when the balloon is rubbed on the sweater. Explain why this happens.
2. The process you completed in #1 is an example of charging an object by friction. Bring your charged balloon near the wall and describe what happens to the wall. Explain why this happens.
3. The effect you observed in the wall in #2 is called charging by induction. Define charging by induction based on what you observed in #2.
Take your charged balloon and place it somewhere between the wall and the sweater. Observe what happens, and describe it here. Explain why this happen.
Balloons and Static Electricity: Post-Lab Questions:
Write the letter of the correct answer on the blank provided.
_____ 1. When charging an object by friction,
a. only the positive charges move from one object to the other.
b. only the negative charges move from one object to the other.
c. both the positive and negative charges move from one object to the other.
d. neither the positive nor the negative charges move from one object to the other.
_____ 2. When an object becomes charged by induction,
a. only the positive charges move within the object.
b. only the negative charges move within the object.
c. both the positive and negative charges move within the object.
d. neither the positive nor the negative charges move within the object.
_____ 3. Based upon what you saw in this lab, then, it can be said that
a. positive charges are stationary within objects.
b. negative charges are stationary within objects.
c. positive charges are mobile within objects.
d. negative charges are mobile within objects.
e. both a and b
f. both a and d
g. both b and c
h. both c and d
Ohm’s Law Simulation
See how the equation form of Ohm's law relates to a simple circuit. Adjust the voltage and resistance on the simulation. You will see the current change according to Ohm's law. The sizes of the symbols in the equation change to match the circuit diagram.
Directions:
· Click on Ohm’s Law
· Click on Run Now
· Explain what each variable represents and give its units.
· V units
· I units
· R units
· Increase V. Record what happens here
· What is the relationship between V and current?
· Return V to the middle. Now increase R Record what happens here.
· What is the relationship between R and current?
· What setting do you need to get max current? V = R =
· What setting do you need to get min current? V = R =
· Use Ohm’s law to calculate current if with 6 V and 750 Ω. Show your work below.
· Now set Voltage = 6.0 V. Set Resistance = 750 ohms. Does your above answer match with the simulation’s answer? (mA means milliamp: 1000 mA = 1 A)
Electric Field Hockey Simulation
Directions:
· Click on electric field hockey
· Click on Run Now
· Click on the trace option.
Pick up a positive charge. The arrow that appears represents the force exerted on the puck by the charge that you have.
1. Move the charge closer to the puck. What happens to the arrow? What relationship exists between the size of the force (arrow) and the distance between the charges?
2. Now hit start. Describe what happened to the puck. Be careful to note how fast it moves.
3. Hit reset. Now place 4 positive charges in the same spot. (The arrow will not change size.) Now hit start. Describe what happened to the puck. Be careful to note how fast it moves compared to the first time.
4. What relationship exists between the size of the force (based on your observations) and the size of the charge?
5. Clear the board and repeat steps 1- 3 using a negative charge. How did the puck behave differently?
6. Now select a difficulty level and a wall will appear. Try to get a goal. Record any interesting observations you see here.
ELECTRIC FIELD HOCKEY: Post-Lab Questions:
Write the letter of the correct answer on the blank provided.
_____ 1. The bigger the distance between two charges
a. the bigger the force between them
b. the smaller the force between them
c. It makes no difference
d. It depends on if it is positive or negative charges
_____ 2. The bigger the charges involved
a. the bigger the force between them
b. the smaller the force between them
c. It makes no difference
d. It depends on if it is positive or negative charges
_____ 3. Based upon what you saw in this lab, it can be said that
a. a negative charge will attract a positive charge
b. a negative charge will repel a positive charge
c. a positive charge will attract a positive charge
d. a positive charge will repel a positive charge
e. a and c
f. a and d
g. b and c
h. b and d
Page 1 of 4