Earth's Magnetic Field

Lab Brief #6

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.

What you'll learn

Earth behaves like a huge bar magnet, generated by convection in its liquid iron outer core. A compass needle aligns with this field, though magnetic north drifts and is not the geographic pole. The field also deflects charged particles from the Sun, producing auroras.

Key words

magnetic declination
The angle between magnetic north and true geographic north at a place.
magnetosphere
The region around Earth dominated by its magnetic field, which deflects the solar wind.

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what happens if you double the force?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

magnetic compass
local map
protractor

⚠️ Safety first

Do this outdoors with an adult if you leave the school or garden.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Think about what you just learned: say what "magnetic declination" and "magnetosphere" mean in your own words before you start.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Compare a compass bearing to north with the true bearing taken from a map at your location and calculate the declination. Then record whether the compass reading changes near a radiator, a phone and a steel door frame.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Question 1 of 2

Earth's magnetic field is generated by:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 2

Auroras occur because Earth's field deflects:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🎢 You feel weightless on a roller coaster because you and the seat are falling at the same speed.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 2 right.

All lessons

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

🧲Share card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

Earth's Magnetic Field

Next Smart Experiment

Share this experiment

Earth's Magnetic Field

Done with science? Try something else

Your Cart (0)