Question

student exploration: magnetism
vocabulary: attract, bar magnet, ferromagnetic, magnetize, north pole, repel, south pole
prior knowledge questions (do these before using the gizmo.)

1. what happens when you place two magnets close together?

1. what objects do magnets stick to? make a list.

1. what do these objects have in common?

gizmo warm - up: what is attracted to magnets?
a bar magnet is a simple rectangular magnet. if you
hang a bar magnet by a string, the north pole (n) of
the magnet will tend to point north while the south
pole (s) of the magnet points south.

1. look at the materials at the bottom of the gizmo.

which ones do you think will stick to a bar magnet?

1. ferromagnetic materials are strongly attracted to magnets. drag a bar magnet and the

piece of nickel onto the scribbled line. press play (▶).
a. is nickel ferromagnetic?
b. how do you know?

1. test copper, wood, glass, and iron. which ones are ferromagnetic?

Explanation:

Prior Knowledge Questions

1. This is based on the fundamental rule of magnetism: like poles repel, opposite poles attract.
2. Magnets only stick to ferromagnetic materials, which are common metal objects.
3. All these objects are made of or contain ferromagnetic metals.

Gizmo Warm-up

1. Based on prior knowledge of ferromagnetic materials, these are the expected materials that stick to magnets.
2. Ferromagnetic materials are defined as being strongly attracted to magnets, so if nickel is attracted, it fits this definition.
3. Only ferromagnetic materials are attracted to magnets; non-metals and non-ferromagnetic metals show no attraction.

Answer:

Prior Knowledge Questions

1. If the same poles (north-north or south-south) are near each other, the magnets repel. If opposite poles (north-south) are near each other, the magnets attract.
2. Paperclips, nails, iron screws, nickel coins, steel pans
3. They all contain ferromagnetic metals (iron, nickel, or cobalt).

Gizmo Warm-up

1. Nickel, iron
2. A. Yes

B. Nickel is strongly attracted to the bar magnet, which is the defining trait of ferromagnetic materials.

1. Iron