Smartphone Magnetometer Field Mapping for Electromagnetism Mastery
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)19 Sep 2025, 00:00 Z
Join our Telegram study groupQ: What does Smartphone Magnetometer Field Mapping for Electromagnetism Mastery cover?
A: Map magnetic fields from solenoids and Helmholtz coils with smartphone magnetometers, build Biot–Savart comparison charts.
TL;DR
Clamp a smartphone in a 3D-printed jig, sweep it through the axis of a solenoid, and log magnetic field strength with PhyPhox or Science Journal.
PlotBvs distance, overlay Biot–Savart predictions, and discuss discrepancies from edge effects and sensor drift.
You walk away with publishable graphs, rigorous uncertainty commentary, and compelling material for Paper 4 planning answers about electromagnetism experiments.
Why Bring Smartphones into the Magnetism Lab
- Examiner feedback highlights weak qualitative descriptions of magnetic-field mapping; high-resolution smartphone data solves that gap.
- Students see an authentic application of vector data logging — aligning with MOE's emphasis on digital fluency across science subjects.
- The activity dovetails with AC generator and induction experiments already on your blog, letting learners compare multiple electromagnetism contexts.
Apparatus Checklist
| Item | Notes |
| Smartphone with magnetometer (Android or iPhone) | Install PhyPhox or Google Science Journal for live XYZ readings. |
| 3D-printed or laser-cut alignment jig | Keeps the phone centred on the solenoid axis to reduce positional uncertainty. |
| Helmholtz coil pair or long solenoid | Known geometry allows analytic Biot–Savart predictions. |
| Bench DC supply with ammeter | Provides stable current from 0–3 A. |
| Ruler or linear rail |
