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Study the nature of magnetism and its relationship to electricity by investigating magnetism, magnetic fields, and magnetic lines of force. Students learn about magnetic domains and how temporary and permanent magnets differ. They build a circuit, observe current creating its own magnetic field, then use the circuit to make an electromagnet. Includes instructions. Supports 10 groups of students.

Product Details

• Study the nature of magnetism and its relationship to electricity by investigating magnetism, magnetic fields, and magnetic lines of force.
• High school investigation with enough materials to support 10 groups of students.
• Carolina Kits 3D®—Lab activity that designs a solution for an engineering problem to support NGSS and 3-dimensional instruction.

Migratory sea turtles are able to sense Earth’s magnetic field and use it to navigate their journey around the Atlantic Ocean and find their way back to the beach where they were born. Tiny crystals of magnetite, a magnetic mineral found in their brains, help them to align to Earth’s magnetic field in the same way a compass works. Over the course of this lab, students develop and use models to explore the magnetic fields of permanent magnets and electromagnets and the interactions between objects within them in order to answer the Driving Question, “What creates a magnetic field, what affects it, and how can we model it?”

Time Requirement
Teacher prep, 30 minutes. Prelab, 30 minutes. Investigation (2 parts), 30 minutes each. Assessment, 20 minutes.

Digital Resources
Includes 1-year access to digital resources that support 3-dimensional instruction for NGSS. Digital resources may include a teacher’s manual and student guide, pre-lab activities and setup videos, phenomenon videos, simulations, and post-lab analysis and assessments.

Performance Expectations
HS-PS3-5

Crosscutting Concepts
Systems and System Models

Disciplinary Core Ideas
PS2.B: Types of Interactions

Science and Engineering Practices
Developing and Using Models

Learning Objectives

• Use a compass to develop a model of magnetic field lines around a bar magnet.
• Use iron filings to analyze the patterns of the magnetic field of a bar magnet and an electromagnet.
• Use models to examine the magnetic field interactions between magnets and magnetic objects.
• Collect and analyze evidence to determine the magnetic effects of an electric current in a wire.

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills
Students should understand that magnets have 2 poles, and that magnets can attract or repel other magnets and magnetic materials. Students should be able to build a simple circuit with batteries, wires, and a switch. Students should be familiar with the definition of electric current.