Magic Magnetism in Physics
From Year 10 to A Level, students have been exploring the mind-blowing phenomena of magnetic fields this term
From levitating frogs to learning about electrifying experiments that have pushed the boundaries of what we know about the universe. From Year 10 to A-Level, they’ve been diving into research and hands-on projects that make physics feel like an adventure.
Year 10 Students: Beyond the curriculum, levitating frogs!
In one of the more random yet absolutely fascinating experiments, Year 10 students have been exploring the strange and quirky world of levitating frogs! Yes, you read that right—frogs floating in mid-air, all thanks to the wonders of magnetic fields. Using powerful magnets, students have seen how these invisible forces can make objects, like frogs, defy gravity in a totally unexpected way (disclaimer – we did not actually make live frogs levitate in class… a video is the best we can do). Some of our Year 10 students have been writing articles to explain what they have seen and read, diving into how this strange phenomenon could lead to some way-out-there ideas, like futuristic transportation or even medical applications. It’s a reminder that sometimes science isn’t just about solving big problems—it’s about exploring the odd, the quirky, and the completely unexpected!
A-Level Students: Recreating Oersted’s Experiment and exploring the Physics in Moby-Dick. Our A-Level students are working hard in the classroom with a mix of classic physics and creative exploration. First up, they’re bringing history to life by recreating Oersted’s experiment, which showed the world that electric currents create magnetic fields. This experiment is one of the cornerstones of electromagnetism, and our students are getting hands-on with it to understand how electric currents can produce magnetic fields.
But that’s not where the excitement stops. In a twist that combines science with literature, the students have also been analyzing a passage from Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. You might be wondering, what’s the connection between a whale hunt and physics? Well, it turns out, quite a lot! Our students are drawing parallels between Melville’s exploration of natural forces and the very real phenomena they’re studying in the lab. The unpredictability of the ocean, the power of the unknown—these themes echo the “mysteries” of the physical forces that shape our world.
To top off their studies, the A-Level students have been getting hands-on with a classic experiment that reveals the invisible forces of magnetism: using iron filings to visualize magnetic fields. By placing iron filings on paper above a magnet or a current-carrying wire, the students watch in awe as the filings align along the magnetic field lines, turning something invisible into a visual masterpiece. This experiment not only makes the invisible visible, but it also helps our students understand the complex geometry of magnetic fields, how they interact, and how they shape everything from everyday electronics to cutting-edge technology. It’s like uncovering a hidden world of forces that exist all around us, just waiting to be discovered!
Featured image: X.Laevis by John Gerrard (https://blog.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/free-floating-frogs/)
