HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

BACKGROUND :
Electricity and magnetism are inseparable friends.  They are similar is some ways and dissimilar in others. In the next four labs students will do experiments that show how they are related.

Prior to the 19th century magnetism and electricity were still regarded as two separate phenomena.  Even 20 years after the invention of the battery most scientist still regarded them separate.  Hans Christian Oersted in 1820 first demonstrated how they were connected.  He was doing an experiment in front of his class showing that electricity could be converted into heat.  Oersted placed a compass close to the electric circuit lying on the desk used for demonstration.  He happened to place the compass parallel to the wire lying there.  As he switched the circuit on, he saw something strange.  To his surprise the compass swung violently back and forth as he opened and closed the circuit.   

The oscillation of the needle puzzled him.  Fascinated with the needle's movement he experimented with stronger batteries that provided him with more current.  From these experiments Oersted showed that electricity and magnetism were similar. 

In the following labs, students will look at electricity first to make sure they remember a series and parallel circuit.  Then repeat Oersted's experiment.  The third lab will look at magnetism, north and south, attract and repel; and the fourth lab will look at electric motors. 

PROCEDURE: 
Students should follow their lab sheets to guide them in their laboratory procedures.   Please note that all the labs build on one another.