12.05.2014
Written By: Debbie Schneiderman
Today the students learned about electromagnetism. I started off with a brief lecture to introduce the idea that electricity and magnetism are related to each other. As part of this discussion I included three diverse examples of electromagnetism in action: the northern lights, maglev trains, and rail guns. The students seemed particularly excited about trains that could travel over 370 miles per hour! To begin the experimental part of the day I showed the students how to make an electromagnet. I then asked them students to use a petri dish filled with iron filings to look at the magnetic field lines created by a neodymium magnet. The students thought the iron filings looked weird but had fun with the demo regardless.
For the experiment we helped our small groups build circuits using alligator clips, batteries, and tiny light bulbs. We asked the students to use a compass to look at the magnetic field around the circuit. A few students noticed that adding more batteries or changing the direction of the circuit could change the defection of the compass. We then provide the groups with wire, iron and aluminium cores, and additional batteries and challenged them to build the strongest electromagnet possible. Although all of the groups were able to make electromagnets, we had problems making magnets that were strong enough to pick up multiple paperclips….but otherwise it was a fun experiment! I think the students will remember that electricity can be used to create magnetic fields.