Exploring Magnetism

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Subject:

Science and Technology

Institution Name:

Center for Science and Technology Education

Collection:

University of California, Berkeley

Grade Level:

Primary

Abstract:

The goal of this unit is for students to develop a deeper understanding of electromagnetism through inquiry based activities. The first session in the guide is designed to teach students that magnets have an invisible force field known as a magnetic field, and that this field has an effect that can be measured around a magnet using a compass. The second session is designed to teach students that electricity flowing in wires also creates an invisible magnetic field that can also be measured using a compass. Students will learn that the larger the current the stronger the magnetic field and that moving magnets across wires creates an electric current. The third Session is designed so students can apply their knowledge of magnetic fields to the engineering problem of designing a spacecraft to measure small interplanetary magnetic fields.

Course Type:

Learning Module

Languages:

English

Material Type:

Activities and Labs, Assessments, Curriculum Standards, Lesson Plans

Media Format:

Graphics/Photos, Text/HTML

Conditions of Use:

Custom Permissions
We encourage individual users, teachers, and students to make classroom-based, not-for-profit use of the materials available through the UC Berkeley Center for Science Education at Space Sciences Laboratory (CSE@SSL) and its World Wide Web site. All our materials are copyright of the University of California Regents with the exception of data and images from NASA and other sources which may be in the public domain or subject to their own copyright restrictions.