Central Philippine University

ILOILO CITY, PHILIPPINES

MATHEMATICS and PHYSICS DEPARTMENT
Experiment No.______2___________

Erwin M. Ysug
Name_______________________________________________Course BSED-SCIENCE
and Year_________________ 3
Electric and Magnetic Field
Part 1
I. Objectives
1. To observe the direction of electric/magnetic field
2. To identify the direction of electric field by attraction and repulsion

II. Materials
Bar Magnets
U-shaped Magnet
Horseshoe
Magnet Board
Paper
Iron Filling

III. Procedures
Set Up 1: No Magnet
1. Set up the materials for set up no. 1.
2. Put the paper at the magnet board.
3. After setting up drops some iron filling.
4. Observe
Set Up 2: 1 Bar Magnet
1. Set up the materials for set up no. 2.
2. Put 1 bar magnet at the middle of the magnet board.
3. Place the paper at the top of a magnet board.
4. Drops some iron filling at the paper.
5. Observe the direction of the electric field by attraction or repulsion.
Set Up 3: North – North
1. Set up the materials for set up no. 3.
2. Put 2 bar magnet at the center of the magnet board and the both North
side of the bar magnet are facing each other.
3. Place the paper at the top of a magnet board.
4. Drops some iron filling at the paper.
5. Observe the direction of the electric field by attraction or repulsion.
Set Up 4: SOUTH – SOUTH
1. Set up the materials for set up no. 4.
2. Put 2 bar magnet of the center of magnet board and the both south side
of the bar magnet are facing each other.
3. Place the paper at the top of a magnet board.
4. Drops some Iron filling at the paper.
 5. Observe the direction of the electric field by attraction or repulsion.
Set Up 5: North – South
1. Set up the materials for set up no.5.
2. Put 2 bar magnet at the center of magnet board and the side of the
magnet bar are facing at the opposite direction.
3. Place the paper at the top of a magnet board.
4. Drop some iron filling at the paper.
5. Observe the direction of the electric field by attraction or repulsion.
Set Up 6: U-Shaped
1. Set up the two magnet boards.
2. Put the U-shape magnet at the center of the two magnet boards.
3. Place a paper on the top of the magnet board.
4. Drop some iron filling at the paper.
5. Observe the direction of the electric field by attraction or repulsion.
Set Up 7: Horseshoe
1. Set up the 2 magnet boards.
2. Put the horse shoe magnet at the Anter of the two magnet boards.
3. Place a paper on the top of the magnet board.
4. Drop some iron filling at the paper.
5. Observe the direction of the electric field by attraction of repulsion.

IV. Diagram
V. Data and Computation

1. No Magnet

2. 1 Bar Magnet
3. North – North

4. South – South
5. North – South

6. U-Shape
 7. Horseshoe

Part 2

I. Discussion
Electromagnetism is the branch of physics that deals with how electric and
magnetic fields interact. Electric and magnetic fields are created by electric charges
and currents, and they can influence other charges and currents. Electric and magnetic
fields can also change in time and space, producing electromagnetic waves that
transport energy and information.
One of the basic laws of electromagnetism is Faraday’s law of magnetic
induction, which says that a changing magnetic field causes an electric field in a
conductor. This phenomenon can be used to create electric current by moving a
magnet near a coil of wire, or the other way around. The direction of the current that is
created depends on how the magnet and the coil move, and can be found by using the
right-hand rule.
Another important idea in electromagnetism is the magnetic field lines, which are
imaginary lines that show the direction and strength of the magnetic field at any point.
The magnetic field lines are in the same direction as the field vector at each point, and
they do not cross or touch. The magnetic field lines can be seen by using iron filings,
which line up along the field lines because of the magnetic force. The amount of iron
filings shows the strength of the magnetic field, with more filings showing a stronger
field.
II. Observation
Set Up 1: No Magnet The iron filings should be randomly distributed on the paper,
with no clear pattern or direction. This is because there is no magnetic field present to
align the filings.
Set Up 2: 1 Bar Magnet The iron filings should form a curved pattern around the
bar magnet, with the filings closer to the ends of the magnet than to the middle. This is
because the magnetic field is stronger near the poles of the magnet than near the
center. The direction of the field lines is from the north pole to the south pole of the
magnet, outside the magnet, and from the south pole to the north pole, inside the
magnet.
Set Up 3: North – North The iron filings should form a pattern that shows the
repulsion between the two north poles of the magnets. The filings should be pushed
away from the poles, creating a gap between them. The direction of the field lines is
from the north pole of each magnet to the south pole of the other magnet, outside the
magnets, and from the south pole to the north pole, inside each magnet.
Set Up 4: South – South The iron filings should form a pattern that shows the
repulsion between the two south poles of the magnets. The filings should be pushed
away from the poles, creating a gap between them. The direction of the field lines is
from the north pole of each magnet to the south pole of the other magnet, outside the
magnets, and from the south pole to the north pole, inside each magnet.
Set Up 5: North – South The iron filings should form a pattern that shows the
attraction between the opposite poles of the magnets. The filings should be drawn
towards the poles, creating a bridge between them. The direction of the field lines is
from the north pole of one magnet to the south pole of the other magnet, outside the
magnets, and from the south pole to the north pole, inside each magnet.
Set Up 6: U-Shaped The iron filings should form a pattern that shows the
magnetic field of the U-shaped magnet, which is similar to that of a bar magnet, but
with a curved shape. The filings should be denser near the poles of the magnet than
near the center. The direction of the field lines is from the north pole to the south pole
of the magnet, outside the magnet, and from the south pole to the north pole, inside the
magnet.
Set Up 7: Horseshoe The iron filings should form a pattern that shows the
magnetic field of the horseshoe magnet, which is similar to that of a U-shaped magnet,
but with a wider gap between the poles. The filings should be denser near the poles of
the magnet than near the center. The direction of the field lines is from the north pole to
the south pole of the magnet, outside the magnet, and from the south pole to the north
pole, inside the magnet.
III. Analysis

In No Magnet set up shows that there is no electric or magnetic field present

when there is no magnet or electric current involved. This confirms the objective of
observing the direction of electric/magnetic field, as there is none to observe in this
case. 1 Bar Magnet set up shows that a bar magnet creates a magnetic field that is
stronger near the poles and weaker in the middle. The direction of the magnetic field is
indicated by the alignment of the iron filings, which are attracted to the poles and
repelled from the center. This confirms the objective of identifying the direction of
electric field by attraction and repulsion, as the iron filings act as tiny magnets that
interact with the bar magnet. North – North set up shows that two bar magnets with the
same polarity repel each other, creating a magnetic field that is pushed away from the
center. The direction of the magnetic field is indicated by the curvature of the iron
filings, which follow the path of the field lines. This confirms the objective of identifying
the direction of electric field by attraction and repulsion, as the iron filings act as tiny
magnets that interact with the bar magnets. South – South set up shows that two bar
magnets with the same polarity repel each other, creating a magnetic field that is
pushed away from the center. The direction of the magnetic field is indicated by the
curvature of the iron filings, which follow the path of the field lines. This confirms the
objective of identifying the direction of electric field by attraction and repulsion, as the
iron filings act as tiny magnets that interact with the bar magnets. This set up is similar
to Set Up 3, but with the opposite polarity, which does not affect the shape of the
pattern, but only the orientation of the iron filings. North – South set up shows that two
bar magnets with opposite polarity attract each other, creating a magnetic field that is
pulled towards the center. The direction of the magnetic field is indicated by the
straightness of the iron filings, which follow the path of the field lines. This confirms the
objective of identifying the direction of electric field by attraction and repulsion, as the
iron filings act as tiny magnets that interact with the bar magnets. This set up is
different from Set Up 3 and 4, as the poles are opposite, which affects the shape of the
pattern, making it more linear and less curved. U-Shaped set up shows that a U-shaped
magnet creates a magnetic field that is similar to a bar magnet, but with a gap in the
middle and a stronger field near the poles. The direction of the magnetic field is
indicated by the alignment of the iron filings, which are attracted to the poles and
repelled from the center. This confirms the objective of identifying the direction of
electric field by attraction and repulsion, as the iron filings act as tiny magnets that
interact with the U-shaped magnet. This set up is similar to Set Up 2, but with a different
shape of the magnet, which affects the strength and distribution of the field, making it
more concentrated and less uniform. Horseshoe set up shows that a horseshoe magnet
creates a magnetic field that is similar to a U-shaped magnet, but with a curved shape
and a weaker field near the poles. The direction of the magnetic field is indicated by the
alignment of the iron filings, which are attracted to the poles and repelled from the
center. This confirms the objective of identifying the direction of electric field by
attraction and repulsion, as the iron filings act as tiny magnets that interact with the
horseshoe magnet. This set up is similar to Set Up 6, but with a different shape of the
magnet, which affects the strength and distribution of the field, making it less
concentrated and more uniform.

IV. Conclusion

Electric/magnetic field of a magnet is a region where a magnetic force can be

detected. The direction of the field can be determined by the alignment of the iron
filings, which act as tiny magnets and align themselves with the field. The field is
strongest near the poles of the magnet, where the iron filings are most densely packed,
and weaker in the middle, where the filings are more dispersed. The field also follows
the inverse square law, which means that the strength of the field decreases as the
distance from the magnet increases.
The experiment also shows that the electric/magnetic field of a magnet can
interact with other magnets. When two magnets with the same poles are brought close
together, the fields repel each other, creating a gap between the magnets and the iron
filings. When two magnets with opposite poles are brought close together, the fields
attract each other, creating a continuous line of iron filings between the magnets. The
U-shaped and horseshoe magnets have both north and south poles, and their fields are
similar to the combination of two bar magnets with opposite poles.