One of the tools we will use to study magnetism is the compass. Here are some things to do that will establish how a compass behaves.

• A compass usually points north. Check that this is true where you are working. (Warning! Sometimes compasses get upset by being placed in the same box as a magnet, and then point south for the rest of their lives).
• The compass will not point the right direction close to your kit, because there are magnets in it! Observe what effects a magnet has when it is close to the compass, and determine how far away the magnet needs to be for the compass not to be disturbed by it.
• In addition to the red bar magnets, there are also some black ceramic magnets in the kit. Observe how these affect the compass. What parts of the ceramic magnets correspond to what parts of the bar magnets?
• Find other objects around you that will cause the compass to deflect.
• Can you "hide" a magnet with a book or a cup or a can of soda pop, so that the compass is not able to detect it?

Also in your kit you will find a small piece of green-gray plastic sheet, which gives another way to study a magnetic field.

• Observe what the magnetic field viewing card does when there is a magnet close by.
• Notice how it responds to the direction of the field (the direction that a compass would point, if it were present), and to the strength of the field (which is strong near a magnet and weak farther away).

Check the box when you are done: