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Physics - Static Electricity for High School and AP Physics

4.4 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Empty star
Based on 20 ratings
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Corey Mousseau

This course on static electricity is a continuation of a series of courses designed for AP Physics 1 & 2 and Regents Physics.

Static electricity, also known as electrostatics, is the first topic within the broader electromagnetism category. The course leads off introducing students to the electric charge. Students will learn the various methods of charging, including charging by conduction, polarization, and charging by induction.

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This course on static electricity is a continuation of a series of courses designed for AP Physics 1 & 2 and Regents Physics.

Static electricity, also known as electrostatics, is the first topic within the broader electromagnetism category. The course leads off introducing students to the electric charge. Students will learn the various methods of charging, including charging by conduction, polarization, and charging by induction.

We will work our way into a vector view on electrostatics through Coloumb's law where we will build a conceptual and quantitative understanding of the electric force. We will also deeply investigate the electric field through ample examples of field line patterns for a multitude of charge combinations including electric dipoles and parallel charged plates.

We wrap up this course exploring the scalar topics of electrostatics. Here we will discuss electric potential, potential energy, work, and equipotential lines.

Upon completion of this course students should look to complete my other courses regarding the other content areas in AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2.

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What's inside

Learning objective

Students will have a strong foundation and thorough understanding of the fundamental principles behind electrostatics (static electricity).

Syllabus

Electric Charge
Electrostatics Workbook
Physics Course Online Course Map
Introduction to Static Electricity (Electrostatics)
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides a strong foundation in electrostatics, which is a core topic in AP Physics 1 & 2 and Regents Physics curricula
Explores electric fields and their properties within conductors, which is essential for understanding circuits and electronics
Covers charging methods like conduction, polarization, and induction, which are fundamental concepts in electrostatics
Requires students to complete other courses regarding the other content areas in AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2
Includes ample examples of field line patterns for various charge combinations, enhancing conceptual understanding

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Reviews summary

Static electricity for high school physics

According to students, this course offers a clear and understandable introduction to static electricity, specifically tailored for High School and AP Physics levels. Learners consistently praise the quality of the explanations provided by the instructor, finding complex topics like Coulomb's Law and electric fields made accessible. The inclusion of numerous examples and practice problems is frequently highlighted as a major strength, helping students solidify their conceptual understanding and build problem-solving skills. Many students report feeling better prepared for their AP or Regents exams after taking the course. While some find the pace ideal, a few mention wishing for slightly more depth or variation in problem types. Overall, the feedback is largely positive, emphasizing the course's effectiveness as a teaching tool for electrostatics at the target academic level.
Pace generally good, some desire more depth.
"The pace felt just right for learning the basics thoroughly."
"For an AP level course, I wished there were a few more challenging problems included."
"The pace was fine, but some topics could maybe be explored a bit deeper for advanced learners."
"Covered the fundamentals well, but doesn't go beyond the standard curriculum."
Workbook and map are helpful aids.
"The electrostatics workbook was a very useful tool for following along and taking notes."
"I liked having the course map to see the flow of topics."
"The supplemental materials added value to the video lectures."
"The workbook provided extra practice opportunities."
Instructor keeps lessons interesting.
"The instructor's energy and clear passion for physics made the lectures engaging."
"He has a knack for explaining things in a way that clicks with high school students."
"Really enjoyed the teaching style; it wasn't dry or boring."
"The instructor is knowledgeable and conveys the information effectively."
Helps prepare for AP/Regents.
"This course was excellent preparation for the static electricity section on my AP Physics exam."
"I felt much more confident answering Regents questions after completing these modules."
"It covered all the necessary topics for my high school physics class and the AP test."
"Great review material, especially the practice problems that felt similar to exam questions."
Good examples aid in application.
"The example problems were a huge help in understanding how to apply the formulas and concepts."
"Plenty of examples provided which really solidified the material after each lesson."
"I found the examples very useful for working through problems on my own later."
"The examples were well-chosen and demonstrated the principles effectively."
Concepts are explained clearly and simply.
"The way the instructor broke down complex concepts like electric potential made them incredibly easy to understand."
"His explanations were super clear and made static electricity much less intimidating than I thought it would be."
"I really appreciated the clear and concise way the topics were presented."
"The explanations were clear, and the visuals helped solidify understanding of electric fields."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Physics - Static Electricity for High School and AP Physics with these activities:
Review Basic Vector Operations
Reinforce your understanding of vector addition, subtraction, and components, which are crucial for understanding Coulomb's Law and electric fields.
Browse courses on Vector Operations
Show steps
  • Watch videos explaining vector addition and subtraction.
  • Practice problems involving vector components.
  • Review trigonometric functions for vector calculations.
Review 'Fundamentals of Physics' by Halliday and Resnick
Deepen your understanding of electrostatics concepts by reviewing relevant chapters in a standard physics textbook.
View Principles of Physics, Extended on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on electric charge and Coulomb's Law.
  • Work through example problems in the textbook.
  • Take notes on key concepts and formulas.
Build an Electroscope
Gain hands-on experience with electrostatics by building a simple electroscope and experimenting with charging objects.
Show steps
  • Gather the materials needed to build an electroscope.
  • Follow instructions to assemble the electroscope.
  • Experiment with charging different objects and observing their effect on the electroscope.
  • Document your observations and explain the underlying principles.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Create a Concept Map of Electrostatics
Organize and synthesize your understanding of electrostatics by creating a concept map that connects key concepts and relationships.
Browse courses on Electrostatics
Show steps
  • Identify the key concepts in electrostatics.
  • Draw a concept map connecting these concepts with arrows and labels.
  • Review your concept map and refine it as needed.
Solve Coulomb's Law Problems
Improve your problem-solving skills by practicing applying Coulomb's Law to various charge configurations.
Browse courses on Coulomb's Law
Show steps
  • Find a set of Coulomb's Law practice problems.
  • Solve each problem step-by-step, showing your work.
  • Check your answers against the solutions.
  • Analyze your mistakes and learn from them.
Create a Presentation on Electric Field Lines
Solidify your understanding of electric field lines by creating a visual presentation explaining their properties and patterns.
Browse courses on Electric Fields
Show steps
  • Research the properties of electric field lines.
  • Create diagrams illustrating field lines for different charge configurations.
  • Write explanations for each diagram.
  • Organize your diagrams and explanations into a presentation.
Read 'Electricity and Magnetism' by Purcell and Morin
Expand your knowledge of electrostatics with a more advanced textbook that delves into the theoretical underpinnings.
View Electricity and Magnetism on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on electrostatics and electric fields.
  • Work through the more challenging problems in the book.
  • Compare the book's approach to the course material.

Career center

Learners who complete Physics - Static Electricity for High School and AP Physics will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Physics Teacher
A Physics Teacher educates students in the principles of physics, often in a high school or college setting. This course, focusing on static electricity, directly aligns with core content taught in introductory physics courses. The detailed exploration of electric charge, Coulomb's law, electric fields, and electric potential energy, as presented in the course, directly supports a teacher's ability to explain these concepts clearly and accurately to students. Anyone wanting to teach physics needs mastery of these core principles.
See salaries and explore the career path for Physics Teacher
Science Curriculum Developer
A Science Curriculum Developer designs educational materials for schools, often related to physics. This course on static electricity provides a thorough understanding of electrostatics, which is a key topic in physics curricula. The detailed exploration of concepts like electric charge, Coulomb's law, and electric potential, as taught in the course, provides a perfect foundation for creating useful and accurate educational content. Anyone designing or developing a physics curriculum would find this course helpful to review and refine their understanding of these concepts.
See salaries and explore the career path for Science Curriculum Developer
Electrical Engineer
An Electrical Engineer designs, develops, and tests electrical equipment and systems. This course provides a detailed foundation in electrostatics, which is a crucial component of understanding electrical phenomena. Knowledge of electric charge, Coulomb's law, electric fields, and electric potential, as covered in the course, will help an electrical engineer in designing and analyzing circuits and electronic devices. The course may help build the deep quantitative understanding necessary for this type of engineering.
See salaries and explore the career path for Electrical Engineer
Physics Researcher
A Physics Researcher conducts experiments and theoretical studies to advance knowledge in physics. This course in static electricity may be useful as it provides a deep dive into the fundamental principles of electrostatics. Concepts such as electric charge, Coulomb's law, and electric fields, which are covered in detail, are crucial for understanding modern physics. This course provides an excellent review of this material, which may be helpful for someone exploring research opportunities.
See salaries and explore the career path for Physics Researcher
Lab Technician
A Lab Technician works in science laboratories, assisting with experiments and equipment maintenance. This course, focused on electrostatics, builds a foundation for practical applications of physics. The course covers concepts like electric charge, Coulomb's law and electric fields, which a lab technician will frequently encounter. The hands-on examples of field line patterns, and exploration of electric potential, may improve the lab technician's capacity for understanding lab procedure and proper handling of equipment.
See salaries and explore the career path for Lab Technician
Science Journalist
A Science Journalist reports on scientific discoveries and advancements for the general public. This course's focus on static electricity, a component of the broader topic of electromagnetism, may be useful. An understanding of the underlying principles, such as electric charge, Coulomb's law, and electric fields, will help a science journalist to accurately convey complex information. This course provides conceptual and quantitative understanding that may be useful for clear explanations of scientific phenomena.
See salaries and explore the career path for Science Journalist
Materials Scientist
A Materials Scientist investigates the properties of different materials for use in specific applications. This course may be helpful because its exploration of electric charge, conductors, insulators, and polarization can inform research into the electrical properties of new materials. A materials scientist must thoroughly understand the principles of static electricity, and the course covers these in depth. Understanding how different materials react to electric fields and charges, as discussed in the course, can also give necessary insight for developing new technologies.
See salaries and explore the career path for Materials Scientist
Renewable Energy Specialist
A Renewable Energy Specialist works in the field of sustainable energy sources, including solar. The course may be useful by developing a foundation in the principles of electrostatics. Concepts such as electric charge, electric fields, and electric potential, which this course covers in detail, are a prerequisite for understanding the technologies that utilize electromagnetism to produce electrical energy. This course may help a specialist better understand the basic principles that are essential for advancements in renewable energy production.
See salaries and explore the career path for Renewable Energy Specialist
Patent Attorney
A Patent Attorney specializes in laws related to inventions and intellectual property. This course, focused on static electricity, may be useful to someone in this field. A thorough understanding of the fundamental principles, like electric charge, Coulomb's law, and electric fields, is essential for anyone working with patents for new electrical and electronic devices. Given that the course builds a conceptual and quantitative understanding of these areas, a patent attorney may find this course helpful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Patent Attorney
Robotics Engineer
A Robotics Engineer designs and builds robots for a variety of applications. This course provides a foundation in electrostatics, which may be useful as electrical systems are an integral part of robotics. The exploration of electric charge, electric fields, and electric potential, as discussed in this course, may be of use in the planning and implementation of control systems. This course may help an engineer better understand the underlying physics that is essential for robotics design.
See salaries and explore the career path for Robotics Engineer
Technical Writer
A Technical Writer creates documentation for technical products and processes. This course in static electricity may be useful if the technical writer needs to explain the principles of electrostatics. This would be relevant if creating documentation for products or systems where electric charge, Coulomb's law, and electric fields play an important role. This course may be helpful in building the necessary subject matter expertise for such work.
See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer
Software Developer
A Software Developer creates apps and programs that are used across all industries. This course offers a grounding in the principles of physics. The course's detailed exploration of the fundamental laws of electrostatics, including topics like electric charge, Coulomb's law, and electric fields, may be useful to anyone working to develop simulations of physics phenomena. Software development that relates to scientific or engineering applications may benefit from the conceptual or quantitative understanding of the subject matter.
See salaries and explore the career path for Software Developer
Data Analyst
A Data Analyst examines large sets of data in order to identify trends and inform decision making. The course may be helpful as it improves analytical and problem-solving skills gained through the detailed and quantitative study of electrostatics. The course provides training in using equations and calculations which are fundamental to many types of quantitative analysis including analyzing data. Although the field is not directly related, this course may help improve skills useful to data analysis.
See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst
Financial Analyst
A Financial Analyst examines financial data and reports to help their organization make decisions. This course may be helpful because it develops analytical and problem-solving skills through quantitative study of electrostatics. The course provides training in using equations and calculations which are fundamental to many types of quantitative analysis. Although the field is not directly related, this course may improve skills useful to some forms of financial analysis.
See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst
Management Consultant
A Management Consultant provides advice to organizations to improve their performance. This course may be useful because it develops analytical and problem-solving skills through the study of electrostatics. Although the subject matter is not directly relevant to business, the rigorous quantitative study it requires may help to sharpen the analytical and deductive reasoning demanded in the consulting profession. The course may be helpful in improving these skills.
See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Physics - Static Electricity for High School and AP Physics.
Cover image
Principles of Physics, Extended
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of physics concepts, including electrostatics. It widely used textbook in introductory physics courses. The chapters on electric charge, electric fields, and electric potential offer a solid foundation for the course material. It serves as a valuable reference for understanding the underlying principles and problem-solving techniques.
Principles of Physics, Extended
Paperback
Check
Principles of Physics, Extended
Kindle Edition
Check
Cover image
Electricity and Magnetism
Save
Offers a more advanced and in-depth treatment of electricity and magnetism. While it may be beyond the scope of a high school course, it provides valuable insights for students seeking a deeper understanding. The book's rigorous approach and clear explanations make it a useful resource for advanced study. It is often used as a textbook for undergraduate physics courses.
Electricity and Magnetism
Hardcover
$$$
Electricity and Magnetism
Kindle Edition
$$$

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Rating
4.4 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Empty star
Effort
2.5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Corey Mousseau
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides a strong foundation in electrostatics, which is a core topic in AP Physics 1 & 2 and Regents Physics curricula
Explores electric fields and their properties within conductors, which is essential for understanding circuits and electronics
Covers charging methods like conduction, polarization, and induction, which are fundamental concepts in electrostatics
Requires students to complete other courses regarding the other content areas in AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2
Includes ample examples of field line patterns for various charge combinations, enhancing conceptual understanding
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