Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 2
ELECTROSTATICS
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ELECTROSTATICS
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Subject: Physics
Class: SHS 2
Term: 1st Term
Week: 20
Grade code: 2.3.1.LI.2
Strand code: 3
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 2.3.1.CS.1
Indicator code: 2.3.1.LI.2
Theme: ELECTRIC FIELD, MAGNETIC FIELD AND ELECTRONICS
Subtheme: ELECTROSTATICS
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This lesson introduces one of the fundamental laws of nature: Coulomb's Law. We have all experienced static electricity – perhaps a small shock when touching a metal doorknob after walking on a rug, or seeing clothes cling together after coming out of the dryer. These phenomena are governed by electrostatic forces. Understanding these forces is the first step to understanding everything from how photocopiers work in the school's admin office to the immense power of lightning during a rainstorm in Accra or Tamale. This law helps us quantify the invisible forces that shape our world at the atomic level and in many modern technologies.
A. Review of Basic Concepts: Electric Charge
Before we learn about the force, let's remember what creates it: electric charge. Charge is a fundamental property of matter. Protons have a positive charge (+e) and electrons have a negative charge (-e). The SI unit of charge is the Coulomb (C). One Coulomb is a very large amount of charge. We often work with smaller units like the microcoulomb (μC, where 1 μC = 10⁻⁶ C) or the nanocoulomb (nC, where 1 nC = 10⁻⁹ C). The fundamental rule of interaction is simple: Like charges repel: Two positive charges will push each other away. Two negative charges will also push each other away. Unlike charges attract: A positive charge and a negative charge will pull towards each other. B. Statement of Coulomb's Law
In the 18th century, a French physicist named Charles-Augustin de Coulomb studied these forces scientifically. He discovered a mathematical relationship to describe them precisely.
Formal Statement: > Coulomb's Law states that the electrostatic force of attraction or repulsion between two stationary point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centres.