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The Physics Teacher -- January 2011 -- Volume 49, Issue 1, pp. 45

Exploring Magnetic Fields with a Compass

Brandon Lunk and Robert Beichner

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

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A compass is an excellent classroom tool for the exploration of magnetic fields. Any student can tell you that a compass is used to determine which direction is north, but when paired with some basic trigonometry, the compass can be used to actually measure the strength of the magnetic field due to a nearby magnet or current‐carrying wire. In this paper, we present a series of simple activities adapted from the Matter & Interactions textbook1 for doing just this. Interestingly, these simple measurements are comparable to predictions made by the Bohr model of the atom. Although antiquated, Bohr's atom can lead the way to a deeper analysis of the atomic properties of magnets. Although originally developed for an introductory calculus‐based course, these activities can easily be adapted for use in an algebra‐based class or even at the high school level.

© 2011 American Association of Physics Teachers

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

compasses, magnetic fields, physics education, student experiments

PACS

  • 01.50.Kw

    Techniques of testing

  • 01.50.My

    Demonstration experiments and apparatus

  • 01.40.gb

    Teaching methods and strategies

History
Online Dec 2010

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0031-921X (print)  

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Association of Physics Teachers

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.3527756

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