Joe Santonacita – student blog

Principal (B)Land,

   Our science program is continually being developed stay on top of the latest physics education research and technology.  In the classroom student participation is a necessity for our educational goals.  In particular, we are looking to attain a student response system for us in the classroom, during demonstrations, reviews and anticipatory sets. 

   If students are shy, unsure or do not know their chance of participating is greatly diminished.  This student response system allows all to participate and answer questions anonymously.  The teacher can program the question they can analyze student comprehension, ask specific questions that align with the NJCCCS,  and you can identify with difficulties students may have.   This can be utilized as a quick and effective formative assessment tool, enabling instructors to examine comprehension at specific points in the learning process.  

   It also brings students into the learning process, with a well crafted challenging open ended question students can debate and challenge answers discussing and exchanging thoughts and ideas.   This exchange of ideas is where the learning process takes place,  student to student interaction encourages students to defend, explain or cross examine their ideas and those of their peers.  With the large amount of technology that is out there, this is powerful, easy to use tool that can be incorporated into our curriculum.  If you can find the funding it would be greatly beneficial to our department and staff if we can acertain this technology for our classrooms. 

Learning Goals
To use the Vernier Charge sensor to determine the charged rubbed on objects or induced.
To utilize electrostatic situations to predict an unknown quantity.

Lab description:
Using the Vernier charge sensor (the sensor utilizes a capacitor to determine the charge on a object) determine the charge on the plastic rod and the coke can to test coulombs law. You can charge the coke can by dropping a charged object into it. You could also utilize a conducting sphere… (common in most electrostatic kits). Hold the charged conducting sphere or plastic rod near until it can hits equilibrium. Knowing the mass of the can the charge on the can and sphere you can predict what the angle would be, if the coke can and the plastic rod were at a known distance apart.

See powerpoint presentation for a visual aide.