Outcomes

A student:

• develops and evaluates questions and hypotheses for scientific investigation PH11/12-1
• analyses and evaluates primary and secondary data and information PH11/12-5
• communicates scientific understanding using suitable language and terminology for a specific audience or purpose PH11/12-7
• explains and quantitatively analyses electric fields, circuitry and magnetism PH11-11

Content Focus

Atomic theory and the laws of conservation of energy and electric charge are unifying concepts in understanding the electrical and magnetic properties and behaviour of matter. Interactions resulting from these properties and behaviour can be understood and analysed in terms of electric fields represented by lines. Students use these representations and mathematical models to make predictions about the behaviour of objects, and explore the limitations of the models.

Students also examine how the analysis of electrical circuits’ behaviour and the transfer and conversion of energy in electrical circuits has led to a variety of technological applications.

Working Scientifically

In this module, students focus on developing questions and hypotheses, processing and analysing trends and patterns in data, and communicating ideas about electricity and magnetism. Students should be provided with opportunities to engage with all the Working Scientifically skills throughout the course.

Content

Electrostatics

Inquiry question: How do charged objects interact with other charged objects and with neutral objects?

Students:

• conduct investigations to describe and analyse qualitatively and quantitatively:

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  • processes by which objects become electrically charged (ACSPH002)
  • the forces produced by other objects as a result of their interactions with charged objects (ACSPH103)
  • variables that affect electrostatic forces between those objects (ACSPH103)

• using the electric field lines representation, model qualitatively the direction and strength of electric fields produced by:

  • simple point charges

  • pairs of charges

  • dipoles

  • parallel charged plates

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• apply the electric field model to account for and quantitatively analyse interactions between charged objects using:

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  • F=qE (ACSPH103, ACSPH104)
  • E=Vd
  • F=14π0q1q2r2 (ACSPH102)

• analyse the effects of a moving charge in an electric field, in order to relate potential energy, work and equipotential lines, by applying: (ACSPH105)

  • V=∆Uq, where U is potential energy and q is the charge

Electric Circuits