Monday, September 22, 2008
Experiment Variations To Improve Critical Thinking Skills: Physics Level I Experiment 6
Electrical Energy: Charging the Electroscope
The Chapter 6 Laboratory Workbook experiment for Physics Level I guides students through the process of building a simple electroscope and testing a few materials to create an electric charge. Let’s continue to make use of the fascinating little machine and allow students to learn more about which materials create the most charge.
I. Prepare the lab notebook
Students will want to create a quick table listing new materials to be tested and a space to record what happens to the strips of aluminum in the electroscope as each new material is tested. Was there enough data in the results of their first experiments for them to make more detailed hypotheses about each new category of material to be tested? Can they make a hypothesis about whether all materials in the same category will produce similar results?
II. Static electricity from various materials
Have students gather or locate a few samples of materials in categories such as cloth (cotton, wool, polyester or nylon), metal (copper, iron, or steel), or paper and plastic (plastic wrap, paper towels, gift wrap tissue paper, facial tissues). Students may also wish to vary the “rod” that is used to rub various materials in an effort to produce electricity. For example, if a plastic comb had been used, students may want to record the results of using that comb with these new materials and then repeat those experiments using a metal or plastic measuring spoon. Are results different when the “rod” is changed?
III. What happened?
Discuss with students their observations about which materials created the strongest separation of the aluminum strips and which made the least. Remind students that an object (the rod) is being charged because electrons are being moved from the source material.
Feel free to write to us with information about how the experiment variations and expansions are received by your students. We appreciate all feedback.