Earth’s Magnetic Shield Inquiry Activity
Instructions: Answer the following questions as you complete the inquiry.
1. In the box below, sketch what you think will happen when you place the bar magnet
under the plastic bag with iron filings. Then, write your prediction on the lines below.
Prediction: _______________________________________________________________________________
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2. Now, place the bar magnet under the plastic bag with iron filings. In the box below, sketch
the arrangement of the iron filings. Then, write your observation on the lines below. You may
repeat this step several times to see if the arrangement of the iron filings changes.
Observation: _____________________________________________________________________________
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3. Now, place the colored paper circle over the bar magnet. Add this object to your sketch
you created in Step 2. What do you think this object represents in the model?
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