An Indoor Magnetic Exploration Survey

Magnetism is traditionally taught within the subject of electromagnetism at the undergraduate and graduate levels in physics courses, with the goal of establishing a solid foundation of the underlying physical mechanisms before advancing to more specialized topics. Oftentimes, a laboratory component of these courses involves practical, hands-on exercises that include, e.g., characterization of magnetic properties of materials and dipoles, measuring the vertical and horizontal component of a magnetic field generated by power supplies, or measuring the EMF induced in a wire coil due to a changing magnetic field. Here, we provide a complement to these activities with a discovery exercise akin to an outdoor magnetic field survey, one that leverages the ready availability of strong small rare earth magnets (“neo-magnets”).