Visualization of magnetic fields
Electromagnetism · Interactive
- DimensionsSubject to on-site plan
- PresentationInteractive
- PricingQuoted by manufacture spec
Purpose & Scientific Principle
Aims to let the audience understand the significance of Gilbert's "Small Earth" experiment. The essential difference between electricity and magnetism was discovered, and the door to magnetism was opened. With the help of the display screen, you can see the direction of the magnetic field lines, observe the phenomenon when the magnetic field lines of two magnets intersect, and think about the distribution characteristics of the magnetic field lines.
How to Operate
By Gilbert's time, folklore assertions of the supernatural powers of magnets had persisted for centuries. But Gilbert believes that practice is an important criterion for testing truth.
So, he plunged into the laboratory and made some natural magnets found in nature into magnetic spheres, called "little earths". And study the magnetism of these spheres using magnetic needles that can rotate around the spheres. Gilbert found that the movements of these magnetic needles were very similar to the behavior of compass needles located at different locations on the Earth, and speculated that the Earth has an iron core similar to a bar magnet. This iron core has a north pole and a south pole, located near the geographical north and south poles, but is covered by a layer of water, rock and mud on the surface. Gilbert also drew the "magnetic axis" and "magnetic meridian" on the spherical magnet. He believed that the magnet's magnetic force was like the soul in the body, producing movement and change.
The "Small Earth" experiment strongly proved the existence of the geomagnetic field, and also proved that the magnetic meridian of a magnet ball with an irregular surface is also irregular.
Gilbert proposed many basic concepts and conceptual prototypes of electricity and magnetism, which truly opened the door to the study of electricity. The Small Earth Experiment is considered a pioneering work in magnetism.
Gilbert made some natural magnets that exist in nature into magnetic spheres, which he called "little earths." And study the magnetism of these spheres using magnetic needles that can rotate around the spheres. Gilbert found that the movements of these magnetic needles were very similar to those of compass needles located at different locations on the Earth, and hypothesized that the Earth had an iron core similar to a bar magnet.
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