TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Drawing Magnetic Fields
Students use a compass and a permanent magnet to trace the magnetic field lines produced by the magnet. By positioning the compass in enough spots around the magnet, the overall magnet field will be evident from the collection of arrows...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Magnets!
Learn about magnets, magnetic forces, and how magnets make things move.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Magnets at the Core
Students simulate magnetic pole reversal to study the movement of Earth's magnetic poles.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Magnets
A module that uses pictures, videos, reading passages, and review question to go over what a magnet and magnetic pole are, and how magnetic force is related to magnetic field. This site may require free registration to access all...
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Magnet Academy: William Gilbert
William Gilbert was an English physician and natural philosopher who wrote a six-volume treatise that compiled all of the information regarding magnetism and electricity known at the time. The work included descriptions of many of...
Other
Integrated Magnetics: Magnet Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to many Frequently Asked Questions on magnets and magnetism.
Other
All About Circuits: Magnetism and Electromagnetism: Permanent Magnets
A good explanation of what the property of magnetism is and how it occurs naturally in lodestone and can be generated in metals such as steel. It describes how a ferromagnetic material such as iron becomes magnetized when near a...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Earth's Magnetic Field
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Examines Earth's magnetic field.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: The Strength of an Electromagnet
Has anyone ever told you that you have a magnetic personality? Have you ever heard that opposites attract? These common phrases are both based on the properties of magnets and magnetic electricity. In this science fair project, learn how...
Other
Magnet Man: Cool Experiments With Magnets
Here is a lengthy listing of activities and resources pertaining to magnets and magnetism. Experiments which can be performed with many different types of magnets are described; detailed directions and photos are provided.
NASA
Nasa: Magnetic Fields
This site from NASA provides a short, illustrated description of the basics of magnetic fields and magnetic poles.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mother Nature's Funnest Play Things: Magnets
In this experiment, students will investigate magnets and how they work. They will understand that two like poles "repel" while opposite poles "attract." They will also observe how a natural force is created by two magnets and answer the...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: The Magnetic Maglev Train
This is a hands-on, inquiry-based lesson that includes three magnetic stations in which students or small groups rotate in order to test and discover different magnetic properties and then use their knowledge to build a Maglev Train...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Exploring Magnetism: Investigating the Forces of Magnets
Students describe and create an experiment to prove that like poles of magnets repel each other while opposite poles attract. Using the experiment, they use the data to support the claim that the repelling force is stronger than the...
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Alexandrian Lighthouse: What Are Properties of Magnets?
Learn about the properties of magnets, what metals are attracted to them, what magnetic poles do, and about repulsion and attraction.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Properties of Magnets
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Looks at magnetic materials and the structure and breadth of a magnetic field. The concept of magnetic domains is explained, and how they behave in a magnetic field....
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Magnetic Attraction
Students complete a series of six short investigations involving magnets to learn more about their properties. Students also discuss engineering uses for magnets and brainstorm examples of magnets in use in their everyday lives.
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Magnet Academy: Timeline of Electricity and Magnetism: 600 Bc 1599
Find out how humans discovered the magnetic lodestone as well as the attracting properties of amber. Advanced societies, in particular the Chinese and the Europeans, exploited the properties of magnets in compasses, a tool that makes...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Earth as a Magnet
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Explains how Earth is a magnet, its geographic and magnetic poles, and its magnetic field.
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: Understanding Rotating Magnetic Field & Synchronous Speed
Get information about rotating magnetic fields and how electric machines use them for their operation. Discusses synchronous speed and number of poles on an electrical machine. The accompanying article discusses the topics found in the...
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Magnet
Wikipedia.com provides an excellent introductory site on magnets. Including basic information describing different types of magnets and their characteristics.
PBS
Nova: Magnetic Storms: When Compasses Pointed South
Earth's magnetic poles have reversed themselves throughout its long history. Find out what scientists know about these reversals. A geologic time line shows when the reversals occurred.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole Oceanography Institute: Hot Topics: Seafloor Magnetics
The earth's magnetic poles have reversed themselves throughout the earth's history. Find out how scientists know that this happened.
Read Works
Read Works: Electric and Magnetic Forces and the Modern Day Compass
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about how a compass works using electromagnetic force. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.