Fields of Everything

We recently studied magnetic fields in our lab. We mapped the field of a bar magnet and a coil. Then we graphed the intensity of a bar magnet versus distance. It was a simple lab but it has some far reaching ideas that we really should deal with.

First of all, just what is a field? We have studied three types of field thus far this year. Gravitational fields are measured in acceleration, m/s^2 or N/kg. All masses have a gravitational field that affects their surroundings by attracted other masses toward themselves. Electric fields are a little more difficult to comprehend. They are measured in N/C and represent the effect on the surroundings of a charged particle. We studied this in a previous lab when we measured the voltage in a pan of water that had two parallel conducting plates in it. Now we come to magnetic fields and we gathered some data that hopefully shed some new light light on an old concept.

Second, what is the mathematical desription of a field? Think about it. Gravitational field...N/kg...electric field...N/C...what would you predict would be the units of magnetic field intensity? Defend your answer. What can you infer about magnetic fields from what we have discussed about electric fields and gravitational fields?

Finally, what about the relationship with distance? For gravitation we have Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. For electric fields and charged particles we have Coulomb's law. What does your data tell you about the intensity of a magnetic source as you get further away from it? What regression did you do on your data and what does it tell you?

Write up this lab by responding to this blog. Respond to the questions that are proposed in bold italics above. As always be illustrative and factual and make your response a minimum of three ample paragraphs. Site at least one source that you used to help prepare your response and it cannot be you textbook. As always, when you are done respond to one of your colleagues.