1
Name: Date:
Student Exploration:T
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: Coulomb’s law, electrostatic force, gravitational force, induced charge, pith ball,
Pythagorean Theorem, tension, vector
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. A girl rubs a balloon on her head and then holds it a short
distance away. Why does her hair stick to the balloon?
Electricty
2. Why do you think the individual strands of hair are spread apart?
The electricity separates the hairs
Gizmo Warm-up
The girl’s hair was attracted to the balloon by the electrostatic force, a
force between all charged objects. Most objects acquire a charge
(q) by gaining or losing electrons. Objects that gain electrons
become negatively charged, while objects that lose electrons
become positively charged.
The Pith Ball Lab Gizmo shows two pith balls hanging by strings. Pith
balls are made from lightweight material that can easily acquire a
charge. To begin, check that the charge on each pith ball (q1 and q2)
is 0.0 × 10-6 coulombs (C).
Use the sliders to test each combination of charges listed below. State whether the electrostatic
force is attractive (balls move together), repulsive (balls move apart), or zero (balls don’t
move).
Charge on left ball (q1) Charge on right ball (q2) Electrostatic force
Positive Zero zero
Zero Negative zero
Positive Positive rep
Negative Negative rep
, 1
Positive Negative att
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All
rights reserved
Name: Date:
Student Exploration:T
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: Coulomb’s law, electrostatic force, gravitational force, induced charge, pith ball,
Pythagorean Theorem, tension, vector
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. A girl rubs a balloon on her head and then holds it a short
distance away. Why does her hair stick to the balloon?
Electricty
2. Why do you think the individual strands of hair are spread apart?
The electricity separates the hairs
Gizmo Warm-up
The girl’s hair was attracted to the balloon by the electrostatic force, a
force between all charged objects. Most objects acquire a charge
(q) by gaining or losing electrons. Objects that gain electrons
become negatively charged, while objects that lose electrons
become positively charged.
The Pith Ball Lab Gizmo shows two pith balls hanging by strings. Pith
balls are made from lightweight material that can easily acquire a
charge. To begin, check that the charge on each pith ball (q1 and q2)
is 0.0 × 10-6 coulombs (C).
Use the sliders to test each combination of charges listed below. State whether the electrostatic
force is attractive (balls move together), repulsive (balls move apart), or zero (balls don’t
move).
Charge on left ball (q1) Charge on right ball (q2) Electrostatic force
Positive Zero zero
Zero Negative zero
Positive Positive rep
Negative Negative rep
, 1
Positive Negative att
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All
rights reserved
