Student "edition" found at {csi dot journalspace dot com}.

Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

In the session of my second class in Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism laboratory for the eleventh week of the first term, we had what was technically the last experiment of the term, Magnetic Fields.

In actuality, their class still has to do the second to the last experiment, galvanometers, on the twelfth week, before we have our practical exams.

I started with the quiz, which, unfortunately, went back to asking for the materials required for the experiment, and the technician was already laying them out on the dividing ledge between our room and the supply room.

Next I had to have them listen to my explanation of the new procedures, starting from the use of the iron filings to the use of the straight wires and the coil they made in the first part of the term.

I also gave a warning that they had to pay attention because if they asked repetitive questions afterwards in the midst of performing the experiment, I would be giving deductions to their group report grade.

I also apologized in advance that I could not tell them whether or not the answer to the second part (magnetic field generated by a current) is the left hand rule or the right hand rule because it still had to be performed by the other class. But I did illustrate both to them.

The iron filings we used were newly delivered and in their plastic wrappers, but were still drill castoffs, and not fine as I wanted. Another project to assign?

For some reason the magnetic field direction could also not be taken above or below the coil. Was it the fiberglass casing interfering?

And even though we used batteries, they were still heating up because it was a short circuit. Is it because they're the type that can be recharged? I'd still prefer using them to the plug-in voltage generator with a resistor though.

Session 1247 is hanging around from the other class that hasn't performed the experiment. Class dismissed.