Monday, April 27, 2009 - Block 3

Started going over Relativity Test. Had trouble keeping students' attention so I let them look at it by themselves and then went around and answered any questions when I collected the tests.

Discussed electric field using analogy with gravity.
Discussed how to draw electric field lines:
1. Electric field lines originate on + charges and terminate on - charges.
2. The density of the field lines indicates the strength of the electric field
3. A charge in an electric field feels a force in a direction tangent to the the electric field lines
4. Electric field lines are always perpendicular to conductors in the static case.
5. Electric field lines never cross.

Discussed electric fields with conductors.
Discussed electric fields with insulators (uniform charge distributions)

Derived the equation for the gravitational force as a function of distance from the center of the Earth.

Students were not ready to start electric potential so I gave out 3 quizzes on electric charge and Coulomb's Law.

Handed out RA 21.2 for homework due tomorrow.