Physics Lessons
Lesson Type: Lab Activity
NGSS Nature of Science Threads: Scientific Investigations Use a Variety of Methods, Science Knowledge Is Based on Empirical Evidence, Science Knowledge is Open to Revision in Light of New Evidence, and Science Models, Laws, Mechanisms, and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena
Students use what they have learned about electrostatics, circuits, and magnetism to find the charge and mass of an electron in a fictional universe. Students develop experiments that can use their knowledge of electricity and magnetism once those are approved by the review board, they “conduct the experiment” and get a data set back as their results. Students work to analyze the data sets to find the: electron charge, charge to mass ratio, or the electron mass. They then write a “paper” to “publish" the results of their analysis. After submission to the review board, they can get approved and the results join the body of knowledge. This continues as more experiments are run and re-run until the class is able to determine an accepted value for the charge and mass of the electron.