Students explore magnets and magnetic forces, permanent and temporary magnets, and rotational & linear motion induced by magnets. Connections are drawn to the Earth itself as a giant magnet, with north and south pole, and to the use of magnets within engineering applications. Electromagnets are central to the technology of sending a neutrino beam from Fermilab outside of Chicago to a detector at the Sanford Underground Research Facility.
May the Force Be With You-- Magnetism, Electricity and Movement
3-PS2-1 Plan and carry out an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
3-PS2-2 Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence for how a pattern can be used to predict future motion.
3-PS2-3 Ask questions about cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.
3-PS2-4 Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets. *
5-PS1-3 Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.
5-PS2-1 Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down.