Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1
MAGNETOSTATICS
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
MAGNETOSTATICS
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Physics
Class: SHS 1
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 13
Grade code: 1.3.2.LI.1
Strand code: 3
Sub-strand code: 2
Content standard code: 1.3.2.CS.2
Indicator code: 1.3.2.LI.1
Theme: ELECTRIC FIELD, MAGNETIC FIELD AND ELECTRONICS
Subtheme: MAGNETOSTATICS
This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.
For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.
Welcome, learners! Today, we are exploring the fascinating world of magnetostatics – the study of stationary magnets and the invisible forces they create. You have all seen magnets, perhaps on a fridge door or in a small speaker. But how do they work? Why does a compass needle always point North? This invisible force, the magnetic field, is not just a curiosity; it is fundamental to many technologies we use daily in Ghana, from the electric motors in our fans and blenders to the large electromagnets used at scrap yards like Agbogbloshie to sort metals. Understanding the magnetic field is the first step to understanding these powerful applications.
2.1 What is a Magnet? A magnet is any material that can produce a magnetic field. Magnets have two ends, called poles: North Pole (N): Also called the North-seeking pole. South Pole (S): Also called the South-seeking pole.
The fundamental law of magnetism is simple: Like poles repel: North repels North; South repels South. Unlike poles attract: North attracts South. 2.2 The Magnetic Field Imagine you have a piece of roasted meat. Even before you see it, you can smell it from a distance. The smell fills the space around the meat. The closer you get, the stronger the smell.
A magnetic field is similar. Definition: A magnetic field is a region of space around a magnet (or a current-carrying wire) where a magnetic force can be detected or experienced by another magnetic material.
It is an invisible field of influence. We can't see it with our eyes, but we can see its effects on things like iron filings or a compass needle. 2.3 The Earth as a Giant Magnet This is a very important concept that explains why compasses work. Our planet, Earth, behaves as if it has a giant bar magnet inside it. Experiment: If we take a bar magnet and suspend it freely with a piece of thread (away from any other magnets), it will swing for a bit and then come to rest pointing in a specific direction: the North-South direction. Observation: The pole of the magnet that points towards the Earth's geographic North is called the North-seeking pole (or simply the North pole). The one pointing towards the Earth's geographic South is the South-seeking pole.