Energy of a Magnetic Field

Registration begins 8:45 AM

Event starts 9:00 AM

Presenter: Emily Bogusch

Without the Earth’s magnetic field, we would be pummeled by charged particles from solar wind. These particles would erode our atmosphere, similar to what happened on Mars 4 billion years ago. Many scientists argue that a planetary magnetic field is necessary for a planet to sustain life. Geomagnetism, however, is not always addressed in science classrooms beyond its usefulness for navigation.

This workshop will use materials created by AAPT and the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (HEAT). The concept of energy in magnetic fields will be introduced through the use of augmented reality (available on any smartphone), computer simulations, and a comprehensive set of NASA video and image sets. In the anchoring lesson plan, students use the magnetometer in the MagnaAR phone app to map field vectors of the magnetic field surrounding common magnets. Based on direct observation, they will construct explanations of how energy is stored in magnetic fields and represent their understanding of this energy flow through pie charts and diagrams. This leads to the culminating activity, in which students study energy in a solar flare and apply that knowledge to authentic, cutting edge 2020 data of magnetic reconnection -- one of the key drivers of space radiation.

This workshop is appropriate for physics instructors (high school and introductory college courses), or Earth and Space science instructors.  Many activities can be adapted for middle school and general science courses. Teachers will leave with access to instructional materials, plans for low-cost implementation in the classroom, and a deeper understanding of the relationship between the sun and the Earth.