Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Physics
Lesson Topic: Know the relationship between the proton number and the relative charge on a nucleus
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the relationship between proton number (Z) and the relative charge of a nucleus.
  • Calculate the total nuclear charge for a given element using Q = Z e.
  • Explain how nuclear charge determines element identity and ion formation.
  • Identify common misconceptions about nuclear charge and neutrons.
  • Apply the concept to predict the charge of neutral atoms and simple ions.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector or interactive whiteboard
  • Slide deck with nucleus diagram and charge calculations
  • Worksheet containing element charge tables
  • Periodic‑table handouts
  • Calculators
  • Whiteboard and markers
 Introduction:
Begin with a quick demonstration using charged balloons to spark curiosity about electric charge. Ask students what gives an atom its overall charge and recall that protons are positive while neutrons are neutral. Explain that today they will discover how the number of protons directly sets the nucleus’s charge and underpins element identity. Success will be measured by their ability to compute nuclear charge and explain ion formation.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5 min): Short quiz on protons, neutrons, and electrons.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10 min): Introduce Q = Z e, derive proportionality, show examples from the table.
  3. Guided practice (12 min): Pairs calculate nuclear charge for H, He, C, U using the worksheet; teacher circulates.
  4. Concept check (8 min): Clicker/hand‑raise questions addressing common misconceptions.
  5. Application activity (10 min): Predict charge of a neutral atom and of common ions (e.g., Na⁺, Cl⁻) and justify.
  6. Summary & exit ticket (5 min): One‑sentence recap of the relationship and a quick exit question.
Conclusion:
Review that the nuclear charge equals the number of protons multiplied by the elementary charge, reinforcing that neutrons do not affect charge. Prompt students to share an example of how this knowledge explains ion formation. Collect exit tickets as a retrieval check and assign homework to calculate the nuclear charge for five elements of their choice.