Circles of Magnetism I

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In this activity related to magnetism and electricity, learners create a magnetic field that's stronger than the Earth's magnetic field. Learners use electric currents that are stronger than the field of the Earth to move a compass needle. The assembly is made using a lantern battery, heavy wire, a Tinkertoy™ set, and poster board and utilizes 4-6 small compasses and 2 electrical lead wires. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per student
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • 6- or 12-volt lantern battery
  • 1 foot (30 cm) length of heavy wire that is rigid enough to stand by itself. (You can use the wire from a coat hanger.)
  • Tinkertoy™ set for building the stand (or another improvised stand).
  • Flat, rigid support surface measuring approximately 6 x 6 inches (15 x 15 cm). (This can be made of posterboard or even a manila file folder.) It should have a hole in the center of it that is large enough for the wire to pass through.
  • 4 or 6 small compasses, measuring about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.
  • 2 electrical lead wires with alligator clips at both ends (available at Radio Shack).
  • Adult help

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Earth Structure
  • Physical Sciences
    • Electricity and Magnetism
      • Electric Charges and Currents
      • Electromagnetic Fields
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • read
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

Funding Sources:

  • National Science Foundation
  • California Department of Education
  • NEC Foundation of America