Lesson Title and objectives Detail

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1 Introduction to magnets The needle of a compass is a magnet.

Pupils will understand that a magnetic If a magnet is free to move, then it will line up with the Earth’s magnetic field. The north pole of a magnet is
material can be magnetised to produce the end of the magnet which ‘seeks’ (i.e., points towards) the Earth’s (geographic) North Pole.
a magnet.
Pupils will know that magnets Magnets attract magnetic materials. Paperclips are made from steel which is a magnetic material. The only
experience forces in the presence of metallic elements which are categorised as magnetic materials are iron, cobalt and nickel. Steel is an iron
other magnets and that like poles repel alloy (a mixture of iron and a small amount of carbon) so steel is a magnetic material because it contains
and unlike poles attract. iron.
Pupils will know and understand the
difference between hard and soft If we have two magnets, then the like poles (e.g., north and north) will repel each other. Unlike poles (i.e.,
magnetic materials. south and north) will attract.

To demonstrate that a paperclip has been magnetised (and is thus a magnet) we need to show that a magnet
can repel one of the ends of the paperclip. The end of the paperclip which is repelled by the north pole of a
magnet is the north pole of the paperclip.

The diagram below shows how to magnetise a magnetic material using a magnet. In this example the head
of the iron nail (D) would become a north pole once the nail was magnetised.

Magnetic materials can be hard magnetic materials or soft magnetic materials. When we use the words
hard or soft in this way it has nothing to do with whether or not we can squeeze the material and change its
shape, or if the material can be scratched. A hard magnetic material is difficult to magnetise but keeps its
magnetism well; it is difficult to change the magnetism of a hard magnetic material. A soft magnetic material
is easy to magnetise but loses its magnetism easily; it is easy to change the magnetism of a soft magnetic
material.
2 Magnetic fields

Pupils will know that magnetic fields can

be represented with field line diagrams
where the spacing of the field lines gives
information about the strength of the
field and the direction of the field lines
give information about how a compass
placed at a given point will line up.
Pupils will understand how iron filings
and a compass can be used to
investigate the magnetic field of a bar
magnet.
Pupils will recognise the magnetic field The diagram above shows the magnetic field of a bar magnet.
of a bar magnet.
Pupils will recognise that the Earth’s If you follow a magnetic field line in the direction of its arrow you will go from the north pole of the magnet
magnetic field and be aware of its to the south pole. We can summarise this informally by saying that magnetic field lines come out of the
similarity to the field of a bar magnet. north pole and go into the south pole.

The smaller the spacing between magnetic field lines, the greater the strength of the magnetic field.

To work out the direction of the magnetic field at a given point in the region around the magnet you need to
consider a tangent to the field line at the point. An example is given in the diagram below. The point selected
is emphasised with a blue dot. A tangent which meets the field line at the dot has then been added.
A compass placed at the point will line up the tangent. The arrows on the field line tell us which direction
along the tangent the north pole of the compass will point. The diagram below shows a compass needle
lining up with the magnetic field.

We can investigate magnetic fields by sprinkling iron filings.

We can also investigate a magnetic field using a compass (a small compass is called a plotting compass).

To use a plotting compass, we place the compass on a sheet of paper and draw around the compass. We
then draw a dot near the pole of the magnet and place a plotting compass so that one end of the compass
needle points at our dot. We then draw a new dot next to the other end of the compass needle. (The
plotting compass and magnet are not drawn to scale.)

We then move the compass so that it is the other side of the new dot, but once again we place it so that one
end of the compass needle points at the (new) dot.

Continue the process until you return to the magnet. Join the dots with a smooth curve. This smooth curve is
a magnetic field line.

In this diagram the space between the dots is

closer to scale.

The Earth has its own magnetic field. If there is no magnet or magnetic material near a compass, the
compass will line up with the Earth’s magnetic field.

The shape of the Earth’s magnetic field is similar to the magnetic field of a bar magnet.
 The magnetic field lines of the Earth’s magnetic field point from the south geographic pole to the geographic
north pole. This means that the geographic north pole of the Earth is a magnetic south pole.

(If you find this very confusing – and lots of people do - it may be helpful to focus on the idea that the Earth’s
geographic north pole is the point where its rotational axis meets its surface. The Earth would have a
geographic poles even if there was no such thing as magnetism. The word North actually comes from the
idea of ‘on the left’ because it is the direction that will be on your left when you face the rising sun, so
‘North’ is an idea that exists before we discover magnets! We then decide to call the end of a magnet which
points to the Earth’s north pole the ‘north pole of the magnet’. Some texts use the term north-seeking pole
(of a magnet) to emphasise how the naming convention works.)

3&4 Magnetic field of a current carrying wire

Electric currents give rise to magnetic fields. The direction of the magnetic field can be predicted using the
Pupils will know that there is a magnetic right-hand grip rule. You imagine gripping the wire with your right-hand so that your right-thumb points
field produced by an electric current. along the wire in the direction in which the current flows. Your fingers will point in the direction of the
Pupils will be aware that the magnetic magnetic field.
field of an electric current is made up of
concentric circles centred on the wire
and that its direction can be predicted
from knowledge of the direction of the
current using the right-hand grip rule.
Pupils will know how to construct an
electromagnet.
Pupils will know three factors affecting
the strength of an electromagnet (size of
current, core material and number of
turns per unit length).

A loop of wire carrying a current behaves like a bar magnet.

If we put many loops next to each other to make a coil, then we have made a solenoid. Each loop is now
called a turn.
If we place an iron rod inside the solenoid, then we have made an electromagnet. The iron rod is called a
core.

The magnetic field at the pole of the electromagnet is much less strong if we do not include the iron core.

There are three factors affecting the strength of the magnetic field of the electromagnet:
1. The magnitude of the current; if you increase the current you will increase the strength of the
electromagnet.
2. The number of turns in the coil (in particular the number of turns per unit length); if you increase
the number of turns then you increase the strength of the electromagnet.
3. The core; if you replace a wooden core with an iron core, you will increase the strength of the
magnetic field.

You could investigate the changing strength of the electric field of an electromagnet by measuring how the
deflection of a compass from the Earth’s magnetic field changes as you change the electromagnet.