Magnetic Field Activities for the High School Classroom

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Subject:

Science and Technology

Institution Name:

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Collection:

NASA

Grade Level:

Secondary

Abstract:

The following unit is designed to acquaint the student with the magnetic field. The assumed average student has some familiarity with the uniform gravitational field of classical Newtonian dynamics and kinematics lessons. This is not required however. The unit is meant to introduce the idea of a field through investigations of magnetic fields as produced by various common magnetic materials and direct currents. The difference between a magnetic field and a gravitational field is that a gravitational field, in the experience of a student, always points downward and is always of the same strength (9.8 m/s2). Magnetic fields are not limited to one direction or strength, in the student's experience. That is, all students are assumed to have noticed that some magnets are stronger than others. Further, all students will know, by the mid-point of this unit, that magnetic fields are inherently loop shaped. One important similarity does exist between the magnetic field of the earth and the gravitational field of the earth: both are mysteriously produced by the same object. Thus, these two fields are easily confused in the mind of the student, and are subject to 'common sense' interpretations that may be at odds with scientific explanation. The 'common sense' interpretations can be hard to modify. Indeed, students are likely to speak as if all magnetic interactions are attractive (e.g., 'the magnetic personality') even though they also know from experience that it is hard to force opposite poles of different magnets together.

Course Type:

Learning Module

Languages:

English

Material Type:

Lesson Plans

Media Format:

Graphics/Photos, Text/HTML

Conditions of Use:

Public Domain
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