Conceptually understanding conductors

Highlights of the activity

Students learn the behavior/properties of conductors by analyzing a variety of situations with charges. They also consider voltage in these problems. Then, based on their previous answers, they predict the charge configurations of a Faraday’s Ice Pail demo. In the end they debate the puzzling Leyden Jar demo.

Reasons to spend class time on the activity

Goals:

• Understand both how and why charges and conductors behave

• Apply Gauss’s Law conceptually (rather than mathematically)

• Consider potential differences for various situations

• Test predictions experimentally (and resolve any disagreements)

• See the connection between physics and real life.

Reflections

• Reflections from the original implementation.

• Reflections from "official" adapters/adopters.

• Reflections from the general public.

Instructor's Guide

• Wiki version

coloradoconductorsguide.pdf