Arrive on time

Put mobile phones away

Use laptops only for legitimate class activities

(note-taking, assigned tasks).

Do not leave class early without

okaying it with the tutor in advance.

Ask questions/ clarification if you are confused.

-Try not to distract or annoy your classmates.

-Listen actively and attentively

Exploring Magnetic Fields

STARTER
You have 5 mins to build a structure that can hold an egg
using the GeoMag provided

Your imagination is all that is needed to create a unique masterpiece

Learning Objectives
Describe magnets and the concept
of magnetism
Predict the motion of magnets
based on the knowledge of
magnetic poles
Illustrate understanding of magnetic
fields

Health and Safety

Caution: Safely working with iron filings

To avoid accidentally getting iron filings in the eyes
during this session, safety glasses are provided

!! WARNING !! Do not bring bar magnets near computers,

computer monitors, audio tapes, or other such magnetic
devices. Strong magnets can destroy materials with
magnetic properties.
0.0005 Tesla

What is a Magnet?

What Materials are Magnetic?

Magnetism
Since ancient times, certain materials, called
magnets, have been known to have the
property of attracting tiny pieces of metal.
This attractive property is called magnetism.

Bar
Magnet

S
N

As fridge magnets
Did you know - A fridge magnet has a
magnetic field that is about 20 times
stronger than the earth!?

Bar magnets are used within a car's oil filter to

help remove any ferromagnetic materials which
could damage the engine. By doing this it
makes the engine last longer

They are used inside pickups in guitars to create

different tones. The bar magnet is placed inside
the pickup with a length of wire coiled around it
to create a magnetic field. Whenever a guitar
string vibrates in that magnetic field, the coil
detects the changes and then creates a voltage,
thus producing a perfect sound.

Magnetic catches on doors to hold

them shut.

What Materials are

Magnetic?

ACTIVITY 1

What Do Magnets Do?

10 mins

Look at the pairs of magnets provided for you. Which

pair will attract each other and why?

What Do Magnets
Attract or repel other magnets (exert a
Do?
force)
Attract other magnetic metals

Have at least 2 distinct ends (poles) each

Like poles repel, opposite poles attract
Notes:
Do not need to touch to exert force (can exert force through
empty space)
Can turn other magnetic metal objects into temporary
magnets

Magnetic Attraction-Repulsion

Magnetic Forces:
Like Poles Repel

S
S

N
N
S

Unlike Poles Attract

Always Remember!!

Magnetic Poles(Polarity)
Iron
filings
N
S

The strength of a
magnet is concentrated
at the ends, called north
and south poles of the
magnet.
W

A suspended
magnet: N-seeking
end and S-seeking
end are N and S
poles.

N
S

N
Bar
magnet

N
E

Compass

Activity 2
An Investigation

15 mins

Place a bar
magnetundera piece of
paper. Sprinkle some
iron filings (thousands
of tiny pieces of iron)
on top of the paper.
What do you notice?

What is a magnetic field? Science experiments using a bar magnet

A magnetic field exerts an invisible force in the space surrounding a
magnet.
This invisible force can pull other magnetized metals (such as iron)
towards it and can attract or repel other magnets. If we cant see a
magnetic field, how do we know what it looks like?

Just as we can see the outline of the invisible mans head through his
bandages, so we can see a magnetic field if we conduct the following
science experiment using iron filings:

A magnet is anything that

produces a magnetic field. Can
you
see
the
magnetic
field
surrounding the bar magnet below?
No? Why not?

The iron filings have interacted with the

magnets magnetic field to produce a pattern
that should look very much like the image below.

The pattern made by the iron filings has been

drawn in the diagram below. What do you notice?

The arrows show the direction of attraction of each line of

force.
The direction of attraction isalwaysfrom north to south.
These lines of force originate at the north pole, travel
through space and enter the magnet through the south pole.
The lines of force never cross each other (intersect).
The magnetic field is strongest where the lines of force are
closest together.

Representation of Magnetic
Field
Like electric field, can be represented
by field lines
Field direction indicated by direction of lines
Field strength indicated by density of lines

But, unlike electric field

Magnetic field lines perpendicular to force
No isolated magnetic poles, so no points in
space where field lines begin or end

Magnetic Field Lines

We can describe
magnetic field lines
by imagining a tiny
compass placed at
nearby points.
The direction of the
magnetic field B at
any point is the same
as the direction
indicated by this
compass.

Field B is strong where

lines are dense and weak
where lines are sparse.

Field Lines Between Magnets

Unlike poles

Attraction

Leave N and
enter S

N
Like poles

Repulsion

Importance
Fields

of

Magnetic

Practical Uses
Electric motors, Loud speakers,
Navigation (Earths magnetic
field)
In Experimental Physics
Mass spectrometers, Particle
accelerators, Plasma confinement
In the Universe
Stars (e.g. the Sun), Interstellar
space, Intergalactic structure,
Jets

Have we met our

objectives
Describe magnets and the concept
of magnetism
Predict the motion of magnets
based on the knowledge of
magnetic poles
Illustrate understanding of magnetic
fields