Energy in a Magnetic FieldHere is the anchoring lesson for this DigiKit. Students will use a phone app magnetometer to map field vectors and strength of the magnetic field surrounding common magnets. Based on observations from the sensing device, students construct explanations of how energy is stored in magnetic fields and represent their understanding through pie chart diagrams. In the culminating activity, students examine images from a solar flare and form conclusions based on quantitative data provided in the lesson.
Supporting Conceptual Understanding of Fields: A Review of the ResearchThis page presents a review of research related to learner struggles in understanding and/or visualizing fields. The article discusses documented common difficulties among students of algebra-based physics in forming accurate mental models of magnetic fields, electromagnetic processes, field intensity, and the 3D nature of fields. It then explains how AR (Augmented Reality) is being used to provide sensor-based tools to visualize fields in real time to augment student understanding.
Exploring Magnetism: Solar FlaresMagnetic activity on the surface of the Sun is far different from the phenomena we experience here on Earth. This short tutorial from Dr. Bryan Mendez at UC Berkeley's Space Science Laboratory can help your students understand what's going on when a solar flare erupts. You'll find annotated diagrams that show magnetic field and plasma movement during a solar flare and field diagrams showing how magnetic fields evolve during a flare event. The tutorial does a nice job explaining the transfer of energy that occurs when plasma crashes into the denser gas of the Sun's chromosphere. Highly recommended by the editors. Allow about 20 minutes in class.