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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 9 - 11

Circuits and Magnetic Fields

Drawing of a right hand with the fingers wrapped around a vertical blue wire with I labeling an upward pointing arrow. Three circular red loops labeled B wrap around the wire below the hand in a counter-clock-wise direction.Right-hand rule for induced magnetic fields.

Students use the same method as in the activity from lesson 2 of this unit to explore the magnetism due to electric current instead of a permanent magnet. They use a compass and circuit to trace the magnetic field lines induced by the electric current moving through the wire. Students develop an understanding of the effect of the electrical current on the compass needle through the induced magnetic field and understand the complexity of a three-dimensional field system.

Electromagnetic induction is a fundamental principle underlying motor design and many disciplines of both electrical and mechanical engineering. The study of electromagnetic fields is also a fundamental discipline of electrical engineering. Students think about how they might use an electromagnet as engineers to design a device to separate steel from aluminum for a recycler.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Describe the shape of the induced magnetic field of an electrical current.
  • Describe how current in a particular direction yields a curving magnetic field according to the right hand rule.

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