High School Photo Winner's Showcase

School: Evanston Township High School

Teacher: Daniel DuBrow

This photo represents the magnetic field produced by a bar magnet. The magnetic field is represented by the compass needles, which show field lines. Compasses work because of the magnetic field that the earth produces. A compass needle is like a small magnet with the red end representing its north pole. The arrow of the compass becomes aligned with the field lines the earth produces. However, when a stronger and more local magnetic field is produced, such as one originating from the bar magnet, the compass will align with that field instead. This made the compasses in the picture align with the local magnetic field as opposed to the one produced by earth. The field lines are arranged in a curve because of the law that field lines cannot cross. This is why the arrows curve away from the north pole of the magnet and then turn back towards the south pole. Earth has a magnetic field represented by a big bar magnet whose South Pole is actually at the geographic North Pole. That's why the red arrows on magnets point North, because they are pointing towards the South Pole of the Earth's magnet.