Name:________________________________________________ Block:_________________

Unit 9: Electrostatics and Circuits

9.1: Electrostatics, Coulomb’s Law, Induction, Conduction, Polarization (slides 1-18)

Warmup:

1. When we say charge is conserved, we mean that charge 2. A difference between Newton’s law of gravity and
can Coulomb’s law is that only one of these
a.​ be saved, like money in a bank. a.​ is a fundamental physical law.
b.​ only be transferred from one place to another. b.​ uses a proportionality constant.
c.​ take equivalent forms. c.​ invokes the inverse-square law.
d.​ be created or destroyed, as in nuclear reactions. d.​ involves repulsive as well as attractive forces.

3. Which is the predominant carrier of charge in copper 4. When a negatively charged balloon is placed against a
wire? non-conducting wall, positive charges in the wall are
a.​ protons a.​ attracted to the balloon.
b.​ electrons b.​ repelled from the balloon.
c.​ ions c.​ too bound to negative charges in the wall to have
d.​ neutrons any effect.
d.​ neutralized.

Essential Questions: How do charges interact? How can charges move? What is the difference between inducing charge
and conducting charge? How do polarization and grounding work? Why are grounding rods necessary for protecting
buildings?

The Big Idea: Electrostatics involves electric charges, the forces between them, and their behavior in materials.

Electrostatics

●​ Electrical forces arise from particles in _________.

●​ The protons in the nucleus attract the electrons and hold them in orbit.
Electrons are _______________ to protons, but electrons _________
other electrons.
●​ Like charges _________ and opposite charges ___________.
●​ Objects can develop temporary charges because electrons can
____________ move in objects.
​ Lose electrons ➔ ________________​ ​
​ Gain electrons ➔ ________________

Conservation of Charge

●​ ___________________________________: Electrons are

neither created nor destroyed, but are simply
__________________ from one material to another.
○​ When electrons are transferred from the rod to the
sphere, the sphere becomes _______________
charged.
Coulomb's Law

●​ For charged objects, the force between the charges varies _________________ as the product of the charges
and __________________ as the square of the distance between them.
○​
d is the distance between the charged particles.
q1 represents the quantity of charge of one particle.
q2 is the quantity of charge of the other particle.
k is the proportionality constant.

●​ The SI unit of charge is the _______________, abbreviated C.

○​ A charge of 1 C is the charge of 6.24 × 10^18 electrons.
○​ A coulomb represents the amount of charge that passes through a common 100-W light bulb in about
one second.
○​ k = 9,000,000,000 N·m^2/C^2 or 9.0 × 109 N·m^2/C^2
●​ If the distance between two charged particles doubles, how will the force change?

Conductors and Insulators

Conductors Insulators Semiconductors

●​ electrons move ●​ electrons more ●​ partial insulator and conductor.
___________​ tightly _________ ●​ Atoms in a semiconductor hold their electrons until
●​ Ex. Silver, gold, to atoms given small ___________ boosts.
copper, steel ●​ Ex. Rubber, Glass, ●​ This process converts solar energy into electrical
dry wood, plastic, energy.
dry air ●​ Thin layers of semiconducting materials sandwiched
together make up ________________.

Charging by Conduction (contact)

●​ Two ways electric charge can be transferred are by ____________ and by ____________. Electrons are
transferred through the conductors.
○​ Ex. Shuffling across the carpet and touching the doorknob.
●​ Charging by Contact- when a __________ sphere is placed in contact with a ____________ object, some
charge will transfer to the ______________ object.

Charging by Induction

●​ If a charged object is brought _______ a conducting surface, even without

physical contact, electrons will move in the conducting surface.
○​ When a negatively charged rod is held near one sphere, electrons in
the metal are repelled by the rod. Excess negative charge has moved to
the other sphere, leaving the first sphere with an excess positive
charge.
○​ The charge on the spheres has been redistributed, or _____________.
○​ When the spheres are separated and the rod removed, the spheres are
charged equally and oppositely. They have been charged by
_________________, which is the charging of an object without direct
contact.
 ●​ Charge induction by grounding can be illustrated using a metal sphere hanging
from a nonconducting string.
○​ A charge redistribution is induced by the presence of the charged rod.
The net charge on the sphere is still _________.
○​ Touching the sphere removes ______________ by contact and the
sphere is left positively charged.
○​ The positively charged sphere is _____________ to a negative rod.
○​ When electrons move onto the sphere from the rod, it becomes
___________________ charged by contact.

●​ When we allow charges to move off (or onto) a conductor by touching it, we are
____________ it.
○​ Charging by induction occurs during ___________________.
○​ The negatively charged bottoms of __________ induce a positive
charge on the surface of _________ below.
●​ Most lightning is an ______________________ between oppositely charged
parts of clouds. The kind of lightning we are most familiar with is the electrical
discharge between clouds and oppositely charged ground below.
●​ If a rod is placed above a building and connected to the ground, the point of the
rod collects electrons from the air. This prevents a buildup of positive charge by
induction.
●​ The primary purpose of the lightning rod is to prevent a lightning discharge from
occurring.
●​ If lightning does strike, it may be attracted to the rod and short-circuited to the
ground, sparing the building.

Charge Polarization

●​ In summary, objects are electrically charged in three ways.

○​ By ________________, when electrons are transferred by friction from one object to another.
○​ By _______________, when electrons are transferred from one object to another by direct contact
without rubbing.
○​ By ________________, when electrons are caused to gather or disperse by the presence of nearby
charge without physical contact.
●​ If the object is an __________________, on the other hand, then a realignment of charge rather than a
migration of charge occurs.
●​ This is charge __________________, in which the surface near the charged object becomes oppositely
charged.
9.2: Electric Current and Ohm’s Law (slides 19-33)
Warmup:

1. Polarization is… 2. If a particle has a net negative charge, this is because…

a.​ a separation of charge that leaves the object net a.​ the particle has been polarized
neutral b.​ the amount of neutrons is more than protons
b.​ switching the sign of a charged particle c.​ the amount of electrons is more than protons
c.​ touching a charged pole and discharging electrons d.​ the particle has been grounded
d.​ storing charge on an insulator

3. Which of the following processes involves no contact? 4. Two charges attract each other with electrostatic force
a.​ Conduction Fe. If the magnitude of both charges doubles while
b.​ Grounding distance is the same, the electrostatic force will…
c.​ Charging
d.​ Induction

Essential Questions: What is current, resistance, voltage, potential difference, and electric shock?

Electric Current & Resistance

●​ As water flows from higher to lower ground because of a height difference, _______________ flows in a similar
way. Electricity flows from a higher to lower potential because of a _______________________ (AKA voltage, V)
●​ Voltage sources such as ________________ and _________________ provide that constant potential
difference & supply energy that allows charges to move steadily. (1.5 V to 120V)
○​ ______________________, I, (measured in amperes, A) is the rate of flow of electric charge.
●​ ______________________, R (measured in Ohms, Ω) is the ability for electricity to flow through a conductor.
○​ A current-carrying wire has a net electric charge of zero.

Electric Current

●​ Think of a water hose: the _______ of water flow (____________) will depend on the pressure difference
(______________) between the ends and the friction (________________) offered by the hose itself.
●​ For a given pressure, more water passes through a large pipe than a small one. Similarly, for a given voltage,
_____________ electric current passes through a large-diameter wire than a small-diameter one.
●​ Resistance depends on the _________________ of the material as well as the ___________ and
_______________ of wire. Thicker wires have more resistance than thin wires, just as longer wires have more
resistance than shorter wires.
●​ Any increase in ___________________ additionally leads to greater resistance. Superconductors (materials that
conduct electricity with virtually no resistance) must operate at low temperatures to function properly.

Voltage Sources

●​ There is often some confusion between charge flowing ____________ a

circuit and voltage being impressed ____________ a circuit. Consider a
long pipe filled with water:
○​ Water will flow _____________ the pipe if there is a difference in
pressure across the pipe or between its ends.
○​ Water flows from ________ pressure to ________ pressure.
●​ Similarly, charges flow through a circuit because of an applied voltage across
the circuit.
○​ You don’t say that voltage ‘flows’ through a circuit. Voltage doesn’t
go anywhere–the __________ move.
○​ Voltage causes current, thought of as a __________ that charges
need to flow.
Ohm’s Law

●​ Ohm’s law states that the current in a circuit is ___________ proportional to the voltage across the circuit and
_______________ proportional to the resistance of the circuit.

-​ Electric resistance is measured in units called ohms, symboled by 𝛺 (omega)

●​ Example: A 30 V battery is connected to a 10 Ω resistor. What is the current in the circuit?

●​ The resistance of a typical lamp cord is much less than ____ ohm, while a typical light bulb has a resistance of
about _____ ohms. An iron or electric toaster has a resistance of 15 to 20 ohms. The low resistance permits a
large current, which produces considerable heat.
●​ Current inside electric devices is regulated by circuit elements called _______________. The stripes on these
resistors are color coded to indicate the resistance in ohms. Without resistors, current would pass through a
circuit to an unsafe degree. It’s important to regulate current to prevent electrical shock.

Ohm’s Law and Electric Shock

●​ For the bird to receive a shock, there must be a difference in ______________ between
one part of its body and another part. Most of the current will then pass along the path of
____________________________________________ connecting these two points.
●​ _______________ occur when the surfaces of appliances are at an electric potential
different from other nearby devices. If you touch surfaces of different potentials, _____
become a pathway for current! To prevent this, electric appliances are connected to a
_________________ through the round third prong of a three-wire electric plug.
●​ One effect of electric shock is to ____________ tissues in the body or to ___________
normal nerve functions. It can upset the nerve center that controls breathing.

1.​ If the resistance of your body were 100,000 ohms, what would be the current in your body when you touched the
terminals of a 12-volt battery?

2.​ If your skin were very moist, so that your resistance was only 1000 ohms, and you touched the terminals of a
12-volt battery, how much current would you draw?

9.3: Power and the Basics of DC Circuits (slides 34-62)

Warmup:

Electric charge will flow in an electric circuit when The electric current in a copper wire is normally composed
a.​ electrical resistance is low enough. of
b.​ a potential difference exists. a.​ electrons.
c.​ the circuit is grounded. b.​ protons.
d.​ electrical devices in the circuit are not defective. c.​ ions.
d.​ amperes.

Which of the following statements is correct? Which of the following types of copper wire would you
a.​ A battery is the source of electrons in a circuit. expect to have the least electric resistance?
b.​ A generator is the source of electrons in a circuit. a.​ a thick long wire
c.​ Voltage flows in a circuit. b.​ a thick short wire
d.​ Charge flows in a circuit. c.​ a thin long wire
d.​ a thin short wire
 When you double the voltage in a simple electric circuit
with constant resistance, you double the…
a.​ current.
b.​ resistance.
c.​ ohms.
d.​ resistors.

Essential Questions: What is power, how is it calculated? How can we evaluate the cost of electricity in homes? What are
the elements of a simple DC Circuit, and how is a circuit schematic drawn? How can we calculate total resistance and
current in a circuit?

Electric Power

●​ ______________________ is the rate at which electrical energy is converted into another form such as
mechanical energy, heat, or light. Electric power is equal to the product of current and voltage.
○​ P = IV
○​ Electric Power (measured in watts, W)= current (Amps) × voltage (Volts)
○​ Another less commonly used equation: P = I^2R (current^2 times resistance)
●​ Ex) The power and voltage on the light bulb read “60 W 120 V.” The current that would flow through the bulb is:

CP: If you double both the current and the voltage in a circuit, the power _____________________________.

Electric Power Examples

●​ Household appliances such as toasters, microwaves, hair dryers, flat irons, fans, heater, etc. can sometimes be
limited by safety fuses.
●​ Consider this: Will a 1200-watt hair dryer operate on a 120-volt line if the current is limited to 15 Amperes by a
safety fuse? Can two hair dryers operate on this line?

●​ A kilowatt is 1000 watts, and a kilowatt-hour represents the amount of energy consumed in 1 hour at the rate of 1
kilowatt.
●​ Consider this: A TV draws 2 A when operated on 120 V.
a)​ How much power does the TV use?

b)​ If the set is operated for an average of 7 hr/day, what energy in kWh does it consume per month (30
days)?

c)​ At $0.30 per kWh, what is the cost of operating the TV per month?
DC Circuit Schematic Elements

●​ In order for electrical devices to work, an ______________________________ must be created.

●​ This is a ____________________ of conducting wire that is attached to a _____________________ and has
an electrical device as well. Electrons flow from the _______________ terminal of the battery through the wire
to the ______________ terminal, but we draw current in the opposite direction. The DC Circuit schematic
elements are shown below:

●​ Example: Three batteries power a circuit containing three light bulbs. The drawing of the circuit and the
schematic diagram are shown below:

CP: In a circuit diagram there may be ___________________________________________.

Electric Circuits

Series Circuit: Electricity flows in _____ single pathway Parallel Circuit: Electricity can flow in ___________
pathways.

Req = R1 + R2 + R3 + …
The ________________________________ of a circuit is
the amount of resistance which a single resistor would The actual amount of resistance varies _______________
need in order to equal the overall effect of the collection of with the amount of overall resistance
resistors which are present in the circuit

Itotal = I1 = I2 = I3 = … Itotal = I1 + I2 + I3 + …
The current in a series circuit is the same The total amount of current _____ all the branches when
_________________ in the circuit. added together is the same as the amount of current at
locations _____________ the branches.

Vtotal = V1 + V2 + V3 + … Vtotal = V1 = V2 = V3 = …
There is a voltage _______ or potential difference for each The voltage in a parallel circuit is the same
resistor, but the sum of these drops is the same as the ____________________ in the circuit.
voltage rating of the power supply.

CP: In a series circuit, if the current in one lamp is 2 A, the current in the battery is ____________.

CP: In a circuit with two lamps in parallel, if the current in one lamp is 2 amperes, the current in the battery is ________
Series Circuits

What happens to the light intensity of each lamp in a series circuit when more lamps are added to the circuit?

What happens to the light intensity of each lamp in a parallel circuit when more lamps are added in parallel to the circuit?

Combining Resistors in a Compound Circuit

●​ The equivalent resistance for a pair of equal resistors in parallel is ________ the value of either resistor! This
means the equivalent resistance for a pair of 1-ohm resistors in parallel is 0.5 ohm. The equivalent resistance is
________ because the current has “twice the path width” when it takes the parallel path.

a)

b)

1/Req = 1/8 + 1/8 = 2/8 = ¼

Req = 4 Ω

Req = R1 + R2 = 8 + 4 = 12 Ω

Combining Resistors in a Compound Circuit

●​ Schematic diagrams for an arrangement of various electronic devices. The equivalent resistance is determined
through a series of reducing each individual branch’s resistance to find what the
_____________________________________ is for the whole circuit.

CP: Consider a compound circuit consisting of a pair of 6-ohm resistors in parallel, which are in series with two 6-ohm
resistors in series. The equivalent resistance of the circuit is _______________________.