1

U of T Lab Practical 2Electricity, Magnetism and Geometric Optics

Workshop presented at Ontario Association of Physics Teachers 32nd Annual Conference University of Toronto. Apr. 29- May 1, 2010

University of Toronto, Department of Physics,

St. George Campus

Eric Lee, Kemp Plumb andJason Harlow

2

Today’s Workshop

• Form groups of 3 or 4

• Introduce yourselves, write your names on the first blank page of the black notebook, date and page #.

• Choose / elect:– Facilitator (record on page 1)– Note-taker (record on page 1)

• Record answers and observations in the notebook in “jot-note” form.

let’s begin…

Electricity Module 1, Activity 1: Electric Charge and Force

3

• What happens when we charge up an object?

• If one thing becomes positive, something else must become negative (conservation of charge)

• Likes repel, opposites attract.

The Magnetic Force

• Electric Current is the flow of electric charge, represented by symbol I.

• Magnetic field is in the direction that a compass points. Represented by the symbol B.

4

• Right hand rule relates direction of current to direction of induced magnetic field.

Ray Optics Module, Activities 3,6: Reflection, Refraction, Lenses

• Does light reflect off a transparent surface?

• How does the intensity of the reflection vary with angle?

• Refraction and Snell’s Law:

• Lenses.5

€

n1 sinθ1 = n2 sinθ 2

6

Practicals replace conventional Tutorials and Labs in 1st Year Physics• Students work in Teams of 3 - 4• 2 hours per week in addition to regular

lectures.• Work on conceptually based guided

discovery activities• The activities involve real apparatus,

simulations, etc.• Closely coupled to what is being discussed

in class

Parting Thoughts on the Pedagogy…

7

Teams share the work, …and share the mark!

• Each team has a notebook, which never leaves the classroom.

• Teams at pods are assigned, not chosen.

• Teams are scrambled once per semester.

• The roles of Note-taker and Facilitator must change person every session.

Parting Thoughts on the Pedagogy…

8

Could this work for you?

• Does this remind you of anything you are already doing?

• How can you motivate a team of 4 students to stay on task?

• They are talking.. But are they talking about physics? If so, is it the blind leading the blind?

• Is it fair for the entire team to share a mark? What about free-loaders?

Parting Thoughts on the Pedagogy…