Module 3
1. Module 3
1.1. Big Picture
Module 3—Electrical Phenomena
Big Picture
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Have you ever spent a summer’s day hiking in the mountains? If you have, you know it’s important to keep an eye on cloud formations so you can anticipate stormy weather. Anticipating bad weather is about more than keeping dry—late afternoon thunderstorms can be a real hazard in open areas at high elevations.
Even when precautions are taken, storm clouds can suddenly blow in from behind a nearby ridge, giving only minutes’ warning that a storm is approaching. In these circumstances, hikers are urged to avoid ridges and trees and to wait in as low a location as possible for the storm to pass. As the storm clouds pass overhead, if the hikers notice that their skin starts to tingle, their hair stands on end, and/or the ends of metal gear starts to hum and spark, then lightning may be about to strike. This is an example of static electricity. You will learn more about this in this module.
As you are working in Module 3, keep the following questions in mind:
- How is it that thunderclouds, kilometers overhead, can produce such dramatic effects on the ground below?
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What is physically transferred between the cloud and the ground when lightning strikes?
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How can the energy transfer in events like this be described?
Module Assessment
Each lesson has a teacher-marked assignment, based on work completed in the lesson. In addition, you will be graded on your contributions to the Discuss section of each lesson.
You will also be asked to complete Self-Check or Try This questions, which you should place in your Physics 30 course folder. These are not formally assessed but are a valuable way to practise the concepts and skills of the lesson. These activities can provide you with reflective feedback on your understanding of the lesson work.
You will be marked for your lesson work on the following items:
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Module 3: Lesson 1 Assignment
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Module 3: Lesson 2 Assignment
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Module 3: Lesson 3 Assignment
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Module 3: Lesson 4 Assignment
- Module 3: Lesson 5 Assignment
- Module 3: Lesson 6 Assignment
At the end of the module you will complete a module assessment that consists of two Diploma Exam-style written-response questions. The first question will assess your knowledge of charge-to-mass ratios and the second question will assess your knowledge of electromagnetic induction. See the Module Assessment page for more information.