Force Fields
Update - 1/1/2026
These notes have changed to match the 2025 IB Physics curriculum and a "forces first" sequence. If you are looking for the files that were posted here, you can find them in the notes archive 

Content Guide

Content Guide - Force Fields (pdf)
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Content Guide - Force Fields (editable)
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Content Guide - Force Fields - KEY (pdf)
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Content Guide - Force Fields - KEY (editable)
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1 - Static Electricity

  • I can describe the conservation of charge and the types of charging
  • I can describe the process for how Millikan experimentally determined the charge of an electron
  • I can calculate the charge on an object based on the number of electrons and protons
1 - Static Electricity - COMPLETE (pdf)
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1 - Static Electricity - COMPLETE (editable)
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1 - Static Electricity - STUDENT (pdf)
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1 - Static Electricity - STUDENT (editable)
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2 - Electrostatic and Gravitational Force

  • I can use Coulomb’s Law to relate electrostatic force to particle charge and separation distance
  • I can use the Law of Gravitation to relate gravitation force to object mass and separation distance
  • I can determine the units of Coulomb’s Constant and the Gravitation Constant using unit analysis
  • I can describe how the sign of the calculated electrostatic force indicates attraction or repulsion
  • I can describe the impact of separation distance on electric and gravitational force
  • I can discuss the impact of permittivity on Coulomb’s Constant
2 - Electrostatic and Gravitational Force - COMPLETE (pdf)
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2 - Electrostatic and Gravitational Force - COMPLETE (editable)
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2 - Electrostatic and Gravitational Force - STUDENT (pdf)
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2 - Electrostatic and Gravitational Force - STUDENT (editable)
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3 - Mapping Force Fields

  • I can draw gravitational fields using vectors
  • I can describe the role of a test charge or test mass in representing force fields
  • I can describe gravitational fields as warping spacetime
  • I can draw electric fields for point charges and charged plates using vectors
  • I can draw magnetic fields around north and south poles
3 - Mapping Force Fields - COMPLETE (pdf)
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3 - Mapping Force Fields - COMPLETE (editable)
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3 - Mapping Force Fields - STUDENT (pdf)
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3 - Mapping Force Fields - STUDENT (editable)
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4 - Calculating Field Strength

  • I can use the law of gravitation and circular motion to describe the motion of an orbiting body
  • I can calculate field strength with proper units around a single object
  • I can calculate the net field strength based on two or more objects
  • I can determine the location where the net field strength is zero
4 - Calculating Field Strength - COMPLETE (pdf)
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4 - Calculating Field Strength - COMPLETE (editable)
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4 - Calculating Field Strength - STUDENT (pdf)
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4 - Calculating Field Strength - STUDENT (editable)
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5 - Magnetism and the Right Hand Rule

  • I can describe how permanent magnets are created by aligned magnetic domains
  • I can indicate a vector that is pointing into or out of the page
  • I can use the right-hand rule to draw the magnetic field around a current carrying wire
  • I can use the right-hand rule to predict the forces on a current carrying wire in a magnetic field
  • I can predict the trajectory of a charged particle moving through a magnetic field at different speeds
5 - Magnetism and Right Hand Rule - COMPLETE (pdf)
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5 - Magnetism and Right Hand Rule - COMPLETE (editable)
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5 - Magnetism and Right Hand Rule - STUDENT (pdf)
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5 - Magnetism and Right Hand Rule - STUDENT (editable)
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6 - Electromagnetic Force

  • I can calculate electromagnetic force on a current carrying wire in a magnetic field
  • I can describe and calculate the force between two parallel current carrying wires
  • I can calculate the force on a charged particle in a magnetic field
6 - Electromagnetic Force - COMPLETE (pdf)
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6 - Electromagnetic Force - COMPLETE (editable)
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6 - Electromagnetic Force - STUDENT (pdf)
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6 - Electromagnetic Force - STUDENT (editable)
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