Name ________________________________________
Physics
Date _________________
Period________________
Magnetic Field Investigation
Follow the directions below and answer the questions to investigate magnetic fields and their
shapes.
Part A:
How can a compass be used to map the direction and path of a magnetic field?
1. Go to the lab table with the bar magnet and the compass.
2. Lay the bar magnet flat on the table and do not place the compass near the magnet.
Predict what will happen when the compass is brought near the magnet.
3. Move the compass to various different locations around the magnet and draw the
direction the compass points at each of them. Draw a sketch of the magnet and the
compass at each of the positions you have chosen. Make sure to pick 10 points as a
minimum and show which way the compass needle is pointing at each.
Questions :
1. How does a compass react when placed near a magnet? What does it do?
2. Which end of the compass points toward the North Pole of the magnet the majority of
the time?
3. As the compass is moved to various positions around the magnet, does the end of the
compass from question 2 always point toward one pole and away from the other?
4. Use the information you obtained from the positions of the compass to draw
continuous lines representing the path the magnetic field lines will take outside of the
Bar Magnet below.
N
S
Name ________________________________________
Physics
Date _________________
Period________________
Part B. 3D Magnetic Field
Go to the magnet and iron filings station.
1. At this station, place the bar magnet flat on the lab table.
2. On top of the magnet, place the piece of transparency film so that the magnet is in the
middle of the film.
3. If Iron filings are sprinkled over the magnet, what will happen? Explain you prediction.
4. Sprinkle some metal filings on the transparency film above the magnet and observe the
results.
5. Sketch a diagram of what you see the iron filings do below.
6. Return the iron filings to the container and now place the round disk magnet under the
film.
7. Predict the pattern iron filings will create when sprinkled over top.
8. Sprinkle some metal filings on the transparency film above the magnet and observe the
results.
9. Sketch a diagram of what you see the iron filings do below.
10. Return the iron filings to the container and now place the horseshoe magnet under the
film.
11. Predict the pattern iron filings will create when sprinkled over top.
Name ________________________________________
Physics
Date _________________
Period________________
12. Sprinkle some metal filings on the transparency film above the magnet and observe the
results.
13. Sketch a diagram of what you see the iron filings do below.
Questions:
1. Did your predictions for the pattern of the Iron filings match to what you saw for the
magnetic fields? Explain your results.
2. Where do the iron filings concentrate? Explain your answer.
3. Do the iron filings only concentrate at the poles? Explain what they do.
4. Do the iron filings lay flat or is a 3D shape formed? Explain your answer.
5. From the pattern shown by the iron filings for the disk magnet, where are the poles
located?
Name ________________________________________
Physics
Date _________________
Period________________
6. Where are the poles located on a horseshoe magnet? Explain your answer completely.
7. What do the iron filings show for the shape of the magnetic field for the horseshoe
magnet? Are the Poles well defined? Explain your answer.
Part C. Creating Current.
At Station C, there is a magnet and 3 coils attached to an Ammeter.
What does an ammeter measure?
1. What do you think will happen if you place the magnet inside the middle one of the
coils?
Place the magnet inside the coil and record your observation.
2. What if the magnet is in constant motion, back and forth, within the coil? Predict what
you will see.
Now, move the magnet back and forth through each of the coils and record your results.
Make sure to move the magnet back and forth through all three coils of wire.
Name ________________________________________
Physics
Date _________________
Period________________
Questions:
1. What did the ammeter show to be moving when the magnet was placed inside the coil
of wire?
2. Did a static magnetic field provided by the static magnet or a changing magnetic field
provided by the moving magnet produce a current? Explain your answer using results
from your activity.
3. Which of the three types of coils produced the most current? Support your answer
with data from the activity.
4. Did moving the magnet back and forth within the coil produce DC or AC? Explain your
answer with facts from the activity.