Teacher sheet · Ages 10–11 · about 45–50 minutes
Magnetism: poles, fields and electromagnets
Lesson page: echoesof.science/school/magnetism/ages-10-11/ · Pupil worksheet: echoesof.science/school/magnetism/ages-10-11/print/
Learning aims
- Only some materials are magnetic (iron, nickel, cobalt).
- Like poles repel, unlike poles attract; poles come in pairs.
- Earth behaves like a magnet; its field comes from the outer core and protects the atmosphere.
- An electric current produces a magnetic field; electromagnets can be switched on and off.
Lesson plan
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Two ring magnets on a pencil: why does one float? |
| 10 min | Read the text. |
| 20 min | Build an electromagnet in groups; fair test with 10, 20 and 30 turns. |
| 5 min | Compare results on the board. |
| 5 min | Quiz or the Attract, repel or nothing? game. |
Materials for the experiment
- A large iron nail (about 8–10 cm)
- About 1.5 m of thin insulated copper wire
- A 1.5 V battery (AA or D) and some tape
- A pile of small steel paper clips
Safety: Use only one 1.5 V battery. Connect for a few seconds at a time: the wire and battery get warm. Never connect to a mains socket.
Common misconceptions
| Pupils may think… | Actually… |
|---|---|
| All metals are magnetic. | Copper, aluminium and gold are not; iron, nickel and cobalt are. |
| Cutting a magnet separates north from south. | Each piece gets both poles. |
| Electromagnets are a different kind of magnetism. | Current makes magnetic fields; electromagnets are the same magnetism, switched by electricity. |
Worksheet answers
- Iron, nickel, cobalt.
- The needle is a small magnet; it lines up with Earth's magnetic field, which acts like a giant bar magnet.
- More turns lifted more clips: more turns make a stronger magnetic field.
- It shields our atmosphere from being worn away by the solar wind.
Quiz answers
- Which material is magnetic? Nickel. Iron, nickel and cobalt are the common magnetic metals.[2]
- You cut a bar magnet in half. You get… two magnets, each with a north and a south pole. Poles always come in pairs.[1]
- Where does most of Earth's magnetism come from? Churning liquid iron and nickel in the outer core. This is called the geodynamo.[3]
- What does the magnetosphere protect us from? The solar wind wearing away our atmosphere. It shields the atmosphere from the solar wind.[3]
- What makes an electromagnet stronger? An iron core and more turns of wire. An iron core greatly strengthens the coil's field.[2]
- What causes the northern lights? Energetic particles from the magnetosphere hitting the upper air. They make the upper atmosphere glow.[3]
Going further
Try a steel nail and an aluminium rod as the core. Which works? Then find three electromagnets at home or at school (doorbell, speaker, lock).
Sources used in this lesson
- [1] College Physics 2e, 22.1 Magnets (OpenStax, Rice University): reliability High
- [2] College Physics 2e, 22.2 Ferromagnets and Electromagnets (OpenStax, Rice University): reliability High
- [3] Earth's Magnetosphere: Protecting Our Planet from Harmful Space Energy (NASA Science): reliability High
Full list with links and a note on each source's reliability: echoesof.science/school/magnetism/sources/
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