Magnetism and electromagnetism
Students often come from KS3 and 4 with an understanding of the properties of magnets and a basic knowledge of rules such as like poles repelling that can be built on in this section. This topic has plenty of associated practical work and this selection tries to include some more novel approaches and materials, such as ferrofluids and supermagnets to make it more interesting for students and applied to areas in science and medicine like MRI scanning and electromagnets in industry.
Whilst this list provides a source of information and ideas for experimental work, it is important to note that recommendations can date very quickly. Do NOT follow suggestions which conflict with current advice from CLEAPSS, SSERC or recent safety guides. eLibrary users are responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is consistent with current regulations related to Health and Safety and that they carry an appropriate risk assessment. Further information is provided in our Health and Safety guidance.
Bright Sparks: Practicals
Six groups of practical activities produced by the Institute of Physics (IOP), for students to explore key concepts of electricity and magnetism. The most useful bit in this topic would be the section on ' Magnetism and electricity' that uses practical work to look at the motor effect and how loudspeakers work and would be an engaging way to introduce or consolidate the ideas. Teacher and technician notes are also included to give some background understanding and help on how to make the activities work effectively.
Supermagnets: Exploring the Properties and Uses of Rare Earth Magnets
A really interesting look at 'supermagnets' (rare earth magnets). The first document in the list gives a fantastic overview of the resources included and some background information for teachers with suggested demonstrations, modelling activities and applications of the ideas that could be used in planning a teaching sequence that develops the ideas in a logical sequence and gives a grounding for looking at MRI machines in medicine.
Magnetic Fields
A set of diagnostic questions and response tasks from the Best Evidence in Science Teaching (BEST) project for students aged 11-14. Although they are aimed at younger students, they would be useful as a quick introduction to magnetic fields including poles, magnetic field lines and magnet attraction. They would help teachers understand which lingering misconceptions students may have about the topic from KS3 and 4, but with activities to also deal with these misconceptions.
MRI Scanning (Siemens)
A National STEM Learning Centre and Network Engineering Case Studies resource investigating the super magnets used in MRI scanning machines. Some interesting activities include the information leaflet 'Going for a scan' that might be used to help relate magnetism to MRI scanning and could be useful as a start to discussion about the conditions needed for a MRI scan to take place (e.g. not on patients with pacemakers ). The article 'Can brain scans uncover lies?' looks at the nature of evidence and its limitations when a sample may be biased or unrepresentative and so would make an interesting homework if students were asked to comment on what research would need to take place in future or how much confidence they had in the results of the study.
Electromagnets
A set of diagnostic questions and response tasks from the Best Evidence in Science Teaching (BEST) project for students aged 11-14. Although they are aimed at younger students, they would be useful as a quick introduction this time to electromagnets and the basics behind them, such as describing the magnetic field lines around a coil of wire and the strength of different electromagnets. The teacher notes with each activity also give an explanation about common misconceptions and how they may affect student understanding.
Genius Inventions
This resource on 'Genius inventions', originally for National Science and Engineering Week, includes electromagnets and outlines some simple experiments to look at electromagnets and a link to a video showing maglev trains in action as an application. This could be a simple start to the topic and has a set of discussion questions that could be a plenary to extend the initial ideas.
Go with the Flow: Investigating Bouncy Fluids and Other Strange Materials
A really interesting look at strange materials that includes ferrofluids. It outlines some experiments that could be done with these fascinating magnetic liquids and has teacher background information on their composition and use. This would be a novel and unusual way of investigating magnetic substances in the classroom and may extend it further from the usual lower school understanding.
Electric Motor
Produced by the National STEM Centre and the Institute of Physics, this video shows a simple method for making an electric motor using a battery, strong magnets and a copper coil. It allows students to investigate the forces generated in an electric motor and so the 'motor effect'. It could be used for students who may have missed a lesson or as an introduction for a teacher or class on how to set up the practical work.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
This resource from the Institute of Physics (IOP), describes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the body. The magnetic resonance imaging video, taken from an IOP Schools and Colleges lecture, uses analogies with sound to describe how the resonant frequencies of protons within the body can be used to produce images. The functional magnetic resonance imaging video, shows an MRI scan of the lecturers brain and could be compared to other scanning methods e.g. X rays or ultrasound to suggest its advantages in this area of the body surrounded by bone.
Episode 411: Describing Magnetic Fields
Produced by the Institute of Physics (IoP), this learning episode uses demonstrations, experiments and questions to help students learn about electromagnetic fields. They consider their strength and direction with the first section being the most relevant to this specification as calculating flux density is not required.
Episode 416: Generators and Transformers
This Institute of Physics (IoP) learning episode looks at applications of magnetism, including demonstrating transformers, and so could be used to develop this idea in the classroom. The calculations are not needed at this level so could be left out and this topic could be linked to mains electricity as transformers are used to step down the voltage to give mains voltage of 230V.