Pre Lab
If you are like me, then you have been playing with magnets most of your life. They are really interesting and the science is fascinating. This week's lab will explore magnetism and the properties of magnets. We will make some qualitative observations about how a compass acts in the vicinity of a bar magnet and explore what this tells us about magnetic fields.
We will also look into the relationship between moving electric charge and magnetic fields. As it turns out, moving charge creates magnetic fields and changing magnetic fields can induce current (we will explore this second point later in the semester, but it is how generators work). The videos on the right provide a LOT of info introducing the science of magnetism. Check them out since we haven't gotten to magnetism in lecture yet.
Prior to lab please complete the following:
Note: Several of the videos mention that you cannot have magnetic monopoles (magnets always have a north and a south pole, thus are dipoles). Interestingly, physicists have recently created artificial magnetic monopoles. Check out this article if you are interested. This is well beyond the scope of this course, so don't worry if it doesn't all make sense. Here is a Wikipedia article on it as well. |
A documentary on magnetism
Bill Nye The Science Guy on Magnets :)
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Pre Lab Video
Simulation
Use the simulation at the following link to explore the magnetic field around a magnet.
Simulation: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/magnet-and-compass
You may use the simulation to answer the pre lab quiz questions as well.
Pre-Lab Quiz is available at the course Blackboard website
Simulation: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/magnet-and-compass
You may use the simulation to answer the pre lab quiz questions as well.
Pre-Lab Quiz is available at the course Blackboard website
Lab
This week you will be completing the Magnetism lab (pg. 43) found your lab manual. We will also be starting the Multiplying Vectors lab from page 53.
We will be using magnets, compasses, 2D Magnetic field Demonstrators, and an electromagnetism apparatus to complete this lab.
We will be using magnets, compasses, 2D Magnetic field Demonstrators, and an electromagnetism apparatus to complete this lab.
Post Lab
Please post a reflection on the lab experience on the Magnetism Lab Reflection discussion board on the course Blackboard site.
Be sure to include:
Be sure to include:
- What you did
- Why you did it
- Any interesting observations
- What you learned from doing the lab