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8th grade Magnets, magnetic fields and electromagnets worksheet

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Magnets, magnetic fields and electromagnets

Grade 8 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. Read this first

    Teacher's electromagnet test (example data)

    coilsbatteriespaper clips lifted
    1016
    20112
    10318
  2. Each change multiplies the clips lifted. How many clips would the electromagnet lift with 20 coils and 3 batteries together, Esme?

  3. Which two rows are a fair test of the iron core alone, Jun?

    • Rows 4 and 5, since they have the biggest difference
    • Rows 3 and 4, since both have an iron nail
    • Rows 1 and 3, since they show the smallest and a large result
    • Rows 2 and 3, since only the core changes
  4. Which two rows are a fair test of the number of coils alone, Kira?

    • Rows 5 and 6, since both rows have 10 coils
    • Rows 1 and 2, since only the coils change
    • Rows 2 and 4, since both rows have 20 coils
    • Rows 1 and 3, since row 3 has 20 coils and a core
  5. Which two rows are a fair test of the number of batteries alone, Luz?

    • Rows 4 and 5, since row 4 has 2 batteries in it
    • Rows 5 and 6, since only the batteries change
    • Rows 1 and 6, since they show the biggest change
    • Rows 2 and 3, since both rows have 1 battery
  6. Which model of the field fits all four compass readings, Milo?

    • There is no field outside the magnet; the needle just points north
    • Field lines run from the S pole to the N pole outside the magnet
    • Field lines go straight out from the magnet in each direction
    • Lines leave the N pole, curve outside and enter the S pole
  7. Which model fits all three compass readings between the two magnets, Noah?

    • Each N pole pushes its lines away; the field is near zero in the middle
    • The magnets do not affect each other, so the needle ignores them both
    • The lines run from one magnet across to the other, as if N faced S
    • Each magnet's field stops at that magnet's own end, without reaching the gap
  8. Pull on a paper clip (example data)

    distance from the magnet (cm)pull (N)
    18.0
    22.0
    40.5
  9. Which statement does the force data support best, Pia?

    • The pull is the same at each distance in the table
    • The pull halves each time the distance doubles again
    • The pull is zero at any distance beyond 1 cm
    • Doubling the distance cuts the pull to a quarter
  10. Poles found with a compass (example data)

    pieceleft endright end
    whole magnetNS
    left halfNS
    right halfNS
  11. What does the table show about cutting a magnet, Ren?

    • Cutting a magnet destroys its poles
    • Each half has its own N pole and S pole
    • Each half keeps a single one of the two poles
    • The left half keeps the N and the right half keeps the S
  12. Far from magnets, a compass's north end points toward Earth's northern magnetic pole. What kind of magnet pole must it be, Tala?

    • It acts like an S pole, since unlike poles attract
    • An N pole, since like poles attract each other
    • Neither, since Earth is not a magnet and has no poles
    • An N pole, since the needle's north end points to it
  13. Electromagnet with an iron nail (example data)

    battery connectedpaper clips liftedcompass needle moves
    yes14yes
    no0no
  14. What does the table show about the electromagnet's field, Zee?

    • The coil stores magnetism after the battery is off
    • The nail is a permanent magnet whatever the battery does
    • The battery itself is the magnet that lifts the clips
    • The field depends on the current; with it off, clips drop
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8th grade Magnets, magnetic fields and electromagnets worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Magnets, magnetic fields and electromagnets. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can predict electromagnet results from a table, including a pattern that does not start at zero and a case where two changes multiply.
  • I can pick the pair of rows that make a fair test of one variable, and say why a plan that changes two things at once cannot show which one matters.
  • I can use compass readings and force data to defend a model of a magnetic field (field lines from N to S, push between like poles, a pull that drops fast with distance).
  • I can explain why an electromagnet is stronger with more coils, with an iron core, and why it turns off with the current; and why a compass's north end points to a magnetic south pole.
  • I can judge a claim or a conclusion against the numbers, including how much evidence one trial gives.

Standard: MS-PS2-3, MS-PS2-5

Words to know

magnetic field: The space around a magnet where its force acts

field line: A line showing the direction of the field; closer lines mean a stronger field

pole: An end of a magnet where its force is strongest: N or S

electromagnet: A coil of wire with an electric current; the current makes the field

core: The iron nail inside the coil

variable: One thing you can change in a test

fair test: A test that changes only one variable and keeps the rest the same

Common mistakes

Your child gave the value for the row before. Each 10 coils add the same number of clips, so go up by one more step.

Your child added the two gains instead of multiplying them. When each change multiplies the clips, the changes multiply each other.

Your child assumed the clips are in proportion to the coils. In this table the line does not start at zero, so use the step each 10 coils adds.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with magnets, magnetic fields and electromagnets?

Your child gave the value for the row before. Each 10 coils add the same number of clips, so go up by one more step.

Are these 8th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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