Today we discussed the results from Friday’s activity modeling the capacitors in series and in parallel. Historically, students have struggled to understand why capacitors in series must all have the same charge. This year, many more students appear to understand this concept. I think what has helped this year is the continued focus on connecting observed macroscopic phenomenon with atomic-level behavior. Visualizing a positive charge carrier flowing onto the positive plate of a capacitor and repelling another positive charge carrier from the corresponding negative plate, and then that positive charge carrier flowing onto the positive plate of the next capacitor in series, and so on, facilitates the observed phenomenon that capacitors in series have the same charge.
Sorry about this week. It was rough, and I was gone two days and took few photos.
##circuits