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Magnetic phenomena and living systems in the bio area degrees

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GIREP-ICPE-EPEC 2017 Conference IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1286 (2019) 012023 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1286/1/012023

Magnetic phenomena and living systems in the bio area

degrees

O Caltun1, M Michelini2 and A Stefanel2

1 T Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Physics, Bd. Carol I nr. 11, 700506
Iași, Romania;
2Research Unit in Physics Education, University of Udine, via delle Scienze 206,
33100 Udine, Italy

[email protected]

Abstract. An educational path was designed aiming to improve the comprehension of basic
concepts of magnetism of students of the Bio areas and developing a functional understanding
of these concepts applied in the specific context of study and their work profession. A pilot study
at the University of Udine involved students of agro-food degrees to analyse how they considered
magnetic concepts and their use in their own area of study. In the final examination, they were
requested to exemplify and to discuss in which contexts of their own area of study magnetic
phenomena are involved. The students identified a wide spectrum of contexts in which magnetic
concepts can be actualized at four different scales: astronomical/planetary, human/animal,
cellular and atomic/nuclear. In the majority of cases, they showed competencies in using
concepts like magnetic field and interaction to discuss in context examples in their own areas of
study. Some difficulties in distinguishing magnetic effects from electrostatic effects emerged, as
well as the need to be conscious of the strength, complexity and role of magnetic phenomena
involving different scale levels at the same time.

Teaching physics in biology and related sciences, which in the following we will address as the Bio
area, requires a great change in approaching of physics concepts and introducing their representations
into contexts specific to the field of study [1]. The physics concepts and models have a transversal role
in building concepts, models, processes and theories of the Bio area. Magnetic phenomena at first sight
seem marginal in this area but have a far more pervasive role than one might think. For example, the
role of magnetic cues for compass orientation has been confirmed in numerous species, as well as having
a decisive role in the development of life on emerging lands [2–3]. The systems used by animals to
perceive the Earth’s magnetic field based on fundamental physical and biological processes involve
important cellular structures [4–5]. Recent research has highlighted the role of magnetic fields in the
growth of some plants [6]. An important application of magnetic phenomena is the NMR diagnostic
method very used in different Bio areas [7]. Therefore, in introductory or general physics courses for
the Bio area degrees, it is important to engage students in constructing a functional understanding of
concepts of magnetism, considering different and interesting topics in their own subject of study.

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IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1286 (2019) 012023 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1286/1/012023

This goal requires significant revision of the teaching of magnetism concepts involving issues at
different levels. New educational learning-teaching pathways must be constructed, according to the
Model of Educational Reconstruction [8], taking into account both the content analysis individuating
the crucial concepts to be faced and typical students’ reasoning patterns and learning problems. It is well
known that most students use alternative models to explain magnetic phenomena such as the charge pole
model [9], or wrong models of the sources of magnetic field and of the magnetic interactions [10–11].
All these learning problems can strongly affect the comprehension of the role of magnetic corpuscles in
living cells for detecting the Earth’s magnetic field, or the distinction between techniques based on
magnetic or electric principles.
Our research started with the hypothesis that it is possible to construct a pathway for improving Bio
areas students’ comprehension of basic concepts of magnetism and developing a functional
understanding of these concepts to be applied in the specific context of area of study and future
profession. The pilot test discussed in the present work involved more than 150 students enrolled in
General Physics courses for Agro-Natural-Food Science specialization at University of Udine.

1. Theoretical framework
Research in physics education has focused for many decades on innovation in teaching physics for
degree courses in physics, identifying educational needs, developing tutorials based on inquiry
approaches and instruments for students learning assessment and evaluation, strategies for active
learning [12–13]. Due the increasing role of physics in the biosciences and therefore in Biosciences
degrees [14–15], these researches addressed the development of new curricula for physics courses in
Biological degrees [16], aiming to integrate Bio-Science and Physics contents [16–17], and to improve
the teaching of physics in the bio-area degrees [1,16–19]. The teaching of physics for students of the
Bio area is a multidimensional problem, mainly linked to what Lillian Mc Dermott defines as “functional
understanding” of physical concepts [20], that is the ability to correctly and consistently use physical
concepts in the specific thematic-disciplinary-applicative context of one’s own field of study and work.
It requires tackling at least four problematic issues. First, re-designing how physics is presented, so
that its role can be recognized in the specific context that characterizes the specific degrees, turning the
approach to physics to characterize the role in specific areas, identifying specific applications in the
professional field of study [21–22]. Second, offering the opportunity to use actively in different fields
instruments and methods typical of physical science [21]. Third, identifying strategies able to produce
an active role for students in the learning of physics, giving them the opportunity to appropriate the
applied physical methodologies [21]. Fourth, supporting students’ learning with multitasking
methodologies and ICT tools, experimental laboratory activities, problem solving, evaluation and self-
assessment of learning outcomes [1,13,17]. The challenge is to show how to use physics to explain and
formalize significant biological processes [1]. It is not just a matter of contextualizing exercises and
examples, but also considering biology issues with physics tools and problems that imply
interdisciplinary skills [23].
The present work contributes to this problematic area. The suggestions of the Redish group are
followed, especially regarding the need to modify deeply the approaches, rooting the treatment of
physics contents in problematic contexts interesting for the Bio area students [1,22]. It is also important
to foresee a high-level commitment of the students, rather than following simplified approaches that
have the effect of reducing the educational level and the construction of learning obstacles, and to realize
an active involvement of the students both in the face to face activities and web based projects [13,17].

2. Research questions
This work aims to answer the following research questions:
RQ1. In which contexts do students identify magnetic phenomena?
RQ2. What concepts do they use in the analysis of these contexts and what learning problems do
they highlight?

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IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1286 (2019) 012023 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1286/1/012023

RQ3. For which aspects does the proposed educational pathway activate effective learning of
magnetic phenomena and functional understanding? Which difficulties remain?
RQ4. How to modify the educational pathway?

3. Instruments and methods

To answer the previous research questions we designed the following instruments, the first two of which
are extensively described in the next sections. A) An educational pathway of learning magnetic
phenomena designed to address the basic concept of magnetism useful for students of the Bio area to
analyze important context for they as NMR imagery. B) A questionnaire consisting of multiple choice
items based on a selection of questions from that developed in literature [9-11, 24-25], and available on
the web as a self-evaluation instrument. C) The written final examination including two questions on
magnetism. The first was a multiple choice item addressing the force acting on a wire in which a current
flows in the presence of a uniform magnetic field, the same situation faced in the on-line questionnaire
B) but with a different orientation of the wire with respect to the magnetic field lines. The second was
an open response item requesting to “Discuss the role of magnetic phenomena in contexts and techniques
of the Bio-area” (a preliminary discussion had been presented on the web forum on the same question).
Suggestions for reference papers [6, 26-27] and for interesting topics [2-4, 7] supported the discussion.

3.1. The Educational Pathway on Magnetism for the Bio Area

Following the Model of Educational Reconstruction [8], to design the educational pathway on magnetic
phenomena, a preliminary analysis was made to identify concepts that students need to know and to
understand in order to explain magnetism in livings. This pathway aims to construct the competence of
students to manage the concepts of magnetic field, magnetic moment and magnetization without a large
use of formalism in the analysis of interaction of magnets, current and fields and living things. It
promotes skills in analyzing magnetic phenomena and processes in living systems, and applying these
competencies to understand the physics concepts involved in the papers recommended for lecture [6,
26], in important applications like the NMR technique [7], or in the processes fundamental to the ability
of some living things to perceive or map the magnetic field [4-5] and to use that in orientating
themselves. As a preliminary study, we were interested in collecting information on how an approach
to physics concepts produces competences for analyzing the Bio contexts [27].
First step in the learning pathway was to realize how the interaction of two magnets results in a
tendency to rotate in order to minimize the energy and to reach the equilibrium of movement. This was
followed by obtaining the representation of magnetic field and magnetic lines based on the use of a
magnetic needle (compass) as a detector of the “orientation field” (then identified as the magnetic field),
produced by a magnet or by the Earth itself. The magnetic field can be described drawing the line of
orientation of the needle compass, recognizing its 3D structure, the symmetry of the source line
dynamically connected to the magnet itself. Normalizing the number of lines represented per units of
surface area, the field lines can represent quantitatively the intensity of magnetic field. The magnetic
poles emerge as the parts of the magnet where the line density is greatest. An important step in the
learning pathway is the impossibility to separate the poles indicating that the magnetic field lines are a
continuous structure passing from outside to inside the magnet.
To connect in a phenomenological way magnetism to electricity, Oersted’s experiment was included
in the path, helping students to discover that current flowing through an electric wire is a source of
magnetic field. Exploring the magnetic field produced by the electric currents, it emerges that the
magnetic field depends on the geometry of the wire itself and that a solenoid produces a magnetic field
equivalent to that of a bar magnet. These steps reinforced the idea that magnetic field lines are always
closed. The Ampère theorem represented the minimal tool used for formal description of the structure
of the magnetic field.
The force acting on a wire immersed in a magnetic field and carrying an electric current (the Lorentz
Force) was also introduced. The interaction of a current loop with a magnetic field is considered using
the concept of a mechanical couple (torque) acting on the loop in order to satisfy the maximum magnetic

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IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1286 (2019) 012023 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1286/1/012023

flux density rule. The concept of magnetic moment associated with a magnet or closed currents was also
introduced. In quasi-static magnetic fields, the mechanical couple determines the alignment of the
magnetic moment (also called the magnetic dipole) with the magnetic field line, in order to minimize
the energy. In the dynamic situation when an alternating field is superimposed perpendicular to the
orientating magnetic field, Larmor precession of the magnetic moment is activated.
The end of the learning pathway introduced the magnetic field inside the matter, individuating at the
phenomenological level paramagnetic, diamagnetic, ferromagnetic materials characteristics and their
magnetic properties, described through the magnetization vector and magnetic susceptibility. Finally, as
an example the fundamentals of the NMR technique were discussed in detail without using formulas but
including basic concepts of magnetic moment relaxation in an alternating field introduced by diagrams
and schemes illustrating the geometry and role of DC and AC superposed fields.

3.2. The on-line questionnaire

As a self-evaluation tool for students, a web questionnaire was designed, based on items used in research
on students learning [9-11, 24-25]. It included ten multiple choices items (Q1–Q10) regarding nine
situations presented with the pictures shown in figure 1 and related to the following conceptual knots:
Q1 – an iron ball and a magnet, to identify the direction of the force of interaction; involving the
distinction between trajectory and field line;
Q2-3 – the magnet and a coil on the table, to identify the extension and the reciprocity of that
interaction;
Q4 – A charged polystyrene ball at rest close to a magnet, to identify the null force acting;
Q5 – Two magnets and a compass, to recognize the superposition principle of magnetic fields;
Q6 – The magnet approaching different objects, to discriminate objects strongly (ferromagnetic
objects) and weakly (diamagnetic and paramagnetic) interacting with a magnet;
Q7 – The electric wire parallel to the magnetic field line produced by the poles of a magnet, to
identify the null force;
Q8 – The magnetic dipole in the external magnetic field, to identify the torque acting and establishing
mechanical equilibrium when the dipole aligned with the field lines;
Q9 – Cylinders of different materials (dia/para/ferro-magnetic and superconducting) inside a uniform
field, to identify the direction of the induced magnetization in each cylinder.
Q10 - The rotating charged cylinder inside a magnetic field, to identify Larmor precession.

Figure 1. Pictures representing the situations of items: Q1, Q2-Q3, Q4, Q5, Q7, Q8, Q10. Each
picture appears in an item, as figure.2 exemplifies.

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IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1286 (2019) 012023 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1286/1/012023

Figure 2 shows examples of the format of the multi-choice items of the on-line questionnaire.

Figure 2. Item 6 and Item 7 of the on-line questionnaire.

3.3. The Context and the Analysis Methods

A pilot test involved two groups of first year students at Udine University: the first group studying
Agronomy (AGR), Oenology (VEN), and Science of Environments (SAN); the second group the
Science and Technology Food (STF hereafter) branches. Each group attended a lecture lasting 2 hours,
that presented in an interactive way the learning path summarized above. After the lecture, students
completed the web-questionnaire on magnetism and contributed to the discussion in the web forum
(during 20 days), and at the end, they had the final examination. In pretests, the majority of students
(85%) demonstrated the representation of magnetism as an attraction with limited range [9] acting on
all metallic objects. The number of students that completed the on-line questionnaire was N=118, 76 of
the SAN and 42 of STF branches. 188 students discussed in the final examination “the role of magnetism
in the context of natural, bio, agro-food sciences, with adequate examples” (39 of AGR, 38 of SAN; 59
of VEN 54 of STF branches).
Each item of the questionnaire was analyzed by the frequency of options, evidencing the mode of
the distribution and the main encountered difficulties. The open written sentences were categorized in
topics, divided by the context quoted and the learning problem evidenced.

4. Questionnaire data analysis

This section synthetizes the analysis of the on-line questionnaire, completed by 118 students. Table 1
refers to all items, except items Q6 and Q9, which are summarized in tables 2 and 3. The majority of the
full sample obtained positive results concerning the direction of the force acting on an iron ball placed
close to a magnet, involving the distinction between trajectory and field line (Q1), the range of the
magnetic field (Q2), and the magnetic dipole in a homogeneous field (Q8). The question related to the
reciprocity of the interaction between magnet and iron coin (Q3), superposition (Q3) and the precession
movement of a magnetic dipole in an external alternating field (Q10) were problematic for half of the
sample, with lower performances for the STF students. Problematic contexts and not resolved knots for
the majority of students (~70%) were when the magnetic field did not produce a force: a charge at rest
close to a magnet (Q4), or an electric wire parallel to the field lines (Q7). The last situation was proposed
also in the final examination, as explained before. It obtained little better results (35% of students gave
the correct answer), remaining for the majority a problematic knot.

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IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1286 (2019) 012023 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1286/1/012023

Table 1. Percentage of answers concerning questions Q1-Q6, Q7-Q8, Q10. In grey the
frequencies corresponding to the attended answers (dark grey – frequencies lower than 40
%; NA=no answer)
Q1 Q2 Q3.1 Q3.2 Q4 Q5 Q7 Q8 Q10
Option

Option

Option

Option

Option

Option

Option

Option

Option
AOS

AOS

AOS

AOS

AOS

AOS

AOS

AOS

AOS
TOT

TOT

TOT

TOT

TOT

TOT

TOT

TOT

TOT
STF

STF

STF

STF

STF

STF

STF

STF

STF
F1 5 3 A 26 33 29 Y 97 76 90 Y 58 33 49 A 34 48 39 D1 3 5 3 A 24 19 22 A 68 62 66 A 39 43 41

F2 8 24 14 B 66 52 61 N 3 10 5 N 42 52 46 B 39 33 37 D2 53 33 46 B 58 48 54 B 24 33 27 B 42 19 34

F3 66 67 66 C 8 14 10 C 26 19 24 D3 3 14 7 C 18 33 24 C 8 5 7 C 18 38 25

F4 13 10 12 D4 42 43 42

F5 8 5

NA 14 5 14 5 5 2
100
100
100

100
100
100

100
100
100

100
100
100

100
100
100

100
100
100

100
100
100

100
100
100

100
100
100
Table 2. Item Q6, testing strong or weak interaction when approaching a magnet to different
objects. Frequency for the full sample (any significant difference between the two groups). In
grey, the expected answers.

20 eurocent coin
Aluminum cube
Plastiline piece
Wood piece

Paper sheet

Paper clip
Cu wire

Magnet
Scissor

Hair
Pen

Yes 69 3 85 24 10 58 5 86 73 8 86
No 27 95 12 69 83 37 85 10 20 80 10
Only in particular situation 3 2 7 5 3 10 3 5 10 3
No Answer 2 2 2 2 2 2

Table 3. Magnetization vector for para/dia/ferro magnetic and

superconductor material. The external field direction is from the right
to the left. Frequencies related to the full sample.

Diamagnetic 25 29 14 10
Paramagnetic 36 24 9 15
Ferromagnetic 14 15 36 15
Superconductors 5 14 20 41
No Answer 20 19 22 19
Total 100 100 100 100

Table 2 shows the results for item Q6 concerning which object strongly interacts with a magnet
(ferromagnetic) and which do not interact (para or diamagnetic). As expected, the difficulty raised to
the students was to identify para/dia magnetic metallic objects: Cu wire, Al cube, 20 eurocent coin.

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IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1286 (2019) 012023 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1286/1/012023

Concerning item Q9 that referred the magnetization of a cylinder inserted in a uniform magnetic
field, the main difficulties concerned the distinction between paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials
(see table 3).
The analysis of the web-questionnaire shows a learning process under construction, where some
problematic knots remained. The next session gives a more completed image of the student
competencies achieved at the end of the instructional pathway (course), analyzing the discussions about
the role of the fundamental concept of magnetism in the contexts of natural, bio, agro-food sciences.

5. Data analysis of the open question in the final written examination of the course
This section synthetizes the analysis of the on-line questionnaire, completed by 118 students (see Table
1). Discussing the role of magnetism in the context of natural, bio, agro-food sciences, the 188
respondents suggested more than one hundred different topics covering the four scales synthesized in
figure 3: atomic-nuclear; cellular; human/animal; astronomical/planetary. A first interesting outcome is
the fact that a large majority of students identified contexts involving two of these four levels. They
described these contexts using adequate physics concepts, but often adopting different conceptual
references for different scale sizes. That means that students considered these as different
phenomenologies, requiring different physics concepts, and for that evidencing difficulties in analyzing
a phenomenon involving different scale sizes (e.g. the earth magnetic field affecting cellular/atomic
processes).
Table 4 summarizes the most frequently cited topics. The most quoted topics were those suggested
in the papers on magnetism affecting growing plants [2,6] and the perception of magnetic field by living
things [7] the discussions proving the students’ competencies in using magnetization and field concepts
and their great interest for discussing physics concepts in these contexts. Students showed awareness in
discussing physics concepts also in the following topics: earth magnetic field (8), bacteria,
magnetosome, cryptochrome and magnetic sensing (15); compass and human orientation (51), terrestrial
and magnetic maps (25), magnetic separation and food preparation (38), electricity production (8).
Some needs emerged from the collection of aspects indicated by students. Students tend to generalize
a results related to a specific species of animals. For instance, students indicated just one mechanism of
magnetic field detection that they generalized to all animals. They need to know there are three main
ways to perceive magnetic field by living systems (magnetic nanoparticle acting as small compass,
electromagnetic field induction, and chemical reaction influenced by magnetic field).

Figure 3. Frequencies of the topics cited by students, divided in four scale sizes.

Students showed little insight into the strength of the magnetic effects (in particular of the earth
magnetic field). They need to be aware of the different strengths involved and that often the effects of
magnetism are quite indirect. In many cases students did not distinguish phenomena due to electric fields
from those produced by magnetic fields. The well-known tendency to identify magnetic and electrostatic

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IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1286 (2019) 012023 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1286/1/012023

phenomena are also common in the case of bio phenomena find. In fact, magnetic and electrostatic
phenomena are more often involved at the same time in living things (e.g., sharks perceive the magnetic
field through electric field sensors based on electromagnetic induction). In the bio area many effect due
to the Van der Walls forces could be confused with magnetic effect, without a microscopic model. This
shows the importance to activate in the interactive pathway of learning connections between disciplines
and do not leaving students alone in this connection.

Table 4. Main subjects quoted by students discussing the role of magnetism in the bio area
Topic: Living Orientation in magnetic field (%) Other Topics (%)
All livings

Terrestrial
Cetaceans
Migration

mammals
Shellfish

Growing
Bacteria

plants
Insect

NMR
Bird

Fish

AGR 56 10 31 3 26 0 0 0 23 5
SAN 37 26 18 5 11 5 3 3 21 3
VEN 33 12 9 16 12 5 2 0 7 14
STF 44 20 22 31 2 2 0 2 22 19
Total 42 15 19 15 12 3 1 1 18 11

6. Conclusion
Teaching/learning a general physics course for Bio area degrees requires redesigning the approaches,
changing the way of teaching by contextualizing content and problems relevant for students. A
transdisciplinary approach seems useful: students became motivated, recognized physics as useful
knowledge for their own area of study, learned how to apply physics to understand bio systems and
analysis techniques in their field. The content knowledge can be addressed in a multidisciplinary context
with examples from the Bio area with huge impact on learning outcomes. The specific context of
magnetic phenomena in living things is particularly interesting for this goal. An educational pathway
was designed to introduce the basic concepts of magnetism such as magnetic field, magnetic moment
and magnetization for students of Bio area. A preliminary study was carried out with students of the
degrees in Agronomy, Oenology, Science of Environments and Science and Technology of Food at
University of Udine. From the analysis of a pre-test it emerged that initially students usually represented
the magnetism as attraction, acting at limited range and have the idea that all metallic objects interact
with a magnet.
The analysis of the web questionnaire, offered as self-evaluation instrument, highlighted
competencies on: distinction between trajectory and field line, range of the magnetic field, behavior of
a magnetic dipole in a homogenous field. Problematic areas remained, such as situations in which
magnetic fields do not produce force on charged bodies (RQ3). Asked to contextualize magnetic
phenomena in their area of interest, they identified in the final examination about 200 examples at four
scale sizes: atomic/subatomic, cellular, human/animal; planetary/astronomical (RQ1). The majority of
the students, discussing these examples, showed adequate competencies in using the physical concepts
introduced in the educational path, but at the same time, the different scales invoked different
phenomenologies in the perspectives of students. This is connected to another problematic issue that
emerged in our study related to the fact that applied physics to natural and bio systems implies that
different processes and phenomena intervene and cannot be separated as is usually done in physics. The
students’ tendency is to consider all the physical effects together as usual in the Bio area, without
identifying each processes and the related affects (RQ2). To achieve this, the introduction of magnetic
phenomena for students of the Bio area requires considering these different scales, discussing
paradigmatic examples familiar for students showing that the same physics explains all the apparently

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IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1286 (2019) 012023 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1286/1/012023

different situations involved. In particular, the human size scale was the most important for students of
our sample (RQ4).
The results of the pilot study indicate for students of Bio areas as necessary (but not sufficient) the
following competencies: A) knowledge of physical phenomena and where they can be observed, and
which laws/principles govern these phenomena (for instance distinguish electrical and magnetic
phenomena); B) recognize the different sources of electric and magnetic field; C) internalize and
distinguish it in real situations as electrostatic processes in capillarity in plants or application of crop
protection products and electromagnetic induction in the capability to perceive also magnetic of animals
like sharks having only electric field detectors); D) a functional understanding of basic physics concepts
(a qualitative but correct use of a concept in other contexts); E) an operative ownership of basic physics
model to describe in a quantitative or semi-quantitative ways processes encountered in everyday life or
natural phenomena. (RQ4).

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