Magnetism Tutorial

This tutorial provides a very simply worded and carefully outlined overview of the principles of magnetism and magnetic induction, complete with simple and visually appealing simulations. Topics covered include magnetic poles, magnetic fields, and electromagnetic induction. Questions at the beginning of the various sections of the tutorial can be used to focus student reading. A section on the use of magnetism in non-destructive testing is included at the end of the tutorial as a real world connection. Magnetism seems mysterious and abstract to most students when they are first introduced to it. The strength of this online tutorial is its slow and careful development of the physics behind magnets, both permanent magnets and electromagnets. The coupling between moving charge and the production of a magnetic field is explained quite well, even for permanent magnets. The generation of electric current by changing magnetic flux is also explained with care. The focusing questions at the beginning of each section are useful in helping the student know what to look for in the reading or when working with the simple simulations. This tutorial would be most helpful in augmenting the material presented in a physics textbook.