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: 2nd Term
Week: 1
Grade code: 2.3.1.LI.3
Strand code: 3
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 2.3.1.CS.1
Indicator code: 2.3.1.LI.3
Theme: ELECTRIC FIELD, MAGNETIC FIELD AND ELECTRONICS
Subtheme: ELECTROSTATICS
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Welcome, students! Today, we are exploring the invisible world of Electrostatics. Have you ever felt a small shock when you touched a doorknob or a car door, especially during the dry Harmattan season? Or seen a balloon stick to a wall after rubbing it on your hair? These are real-world examples of static electricity. Electrostatics is the study of stationary electric charges and the forces between them. Understanding this topic is fundamental to how much of our modern technology works, from the photocopier in the school office to the lightning arrestors that protect our tall buildings in Accra and Kumasi.
This section breaks down the core ideas you need to master. We will build our understanding step-by-step. 2.1. Recap: Electrostatic Force (Coulomb's Law)
Before we discuss the "field," let's remember the "force." The "Talk for Learning" in our curriculum reminds us to start here. Electrostatic Force is the force of attraction or repulsion between two stationary electric charges. We know that "like charges repel, and unlike charges attract." This force was described mathematically by Charles Coulomb. Coulomb's Law states that the force (F) between two point charges (q₁ and q₂) is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance (r) between them.
Formula: F = k * |q₁q₂| / r²
Where: F is the electrostatic force in Newtons (N). k is Coulomb's constant, approximately 9.0 x 10⁹ Nm²/C². q₁ and q₂ are the magnitudes of the charges in Coulombs (C). r is the distance between the charges in meters (m).