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Magnetic Poles
Have you ever played with magnets? You may have heard seen the
ends of magnets labeled as a north pole or south pole, just like
the Earth. The Magnetic Field Sensor will help you find the north
and south poles of a magnet.
PROCEDURE
1. Do the following to set up the Magnetic Field Sensor for data
collection:
a. Set the switch on the Magnetic Field Sensor to 6.4 mT. Make
sure the Magnetic Field Sensor is connected to the Labquest 2
c. Bend the tip of the Magnetic Field Sensor so that it looks like
the picture below. Find the white dot near the end of the
Magnetic Field Sensor. This is the part
that senses the magnetic field.
2. Do the following to find out which
end of the magnet is the north pole and
which is the south pole.
a. Place the Magnetic Field Sensor on
the table with the white dot facing up
towards the ceiling. Tape the sensor in place.
b. Pick up the magnet. Look at the meter on the screen while you
move one end of the magnet towards the Magnetic Field Sensor.
When one end of the magnet comes close to the sensor, the
numbers will be negative. (They will have a minus sign (—) in front
of them.) This means that you are near the north pole of the
magnet. The other end of the magnet
will be positive. This means you are near the south pole.
positive number = north pole
negative number = south pole
Put a sticker with the letter S and a sticker with the letter N on
the magnet to help identify the poles.
3. Now sketch how the pattern of iron filings changes when you
bring the magnet up below the box.
4. Record how many paperclips each magnet can lift using the
north pole and then the south pole.
5. Repeat Step 2, 3 and 4 for two or three different magnets.
DATA TABLE
Sketch of
Magnet Shape
Sketch of Magnetic
Field Lines
Number of Paperclips
Lifted my Magnet
North Pole:
South Pole: North Pole:
South Pole:
North Pole:
South Pole: QUESTIONS
1. Does the number of paperclips lifted depend on whether you use
the south or north pole (circle yes or no)?
2. Does it depend on magnetic sensor reading (circle yes or no)?
3. What happens when you place the south pole of one magnet near
the north pole of another or the south pole near the south pole?