S
T
E
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MAGIC
ACTIVITY 1
TEACHER’S NOTES
Use
s and family!
our friend
y
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magnetic
In this activity your students will:
t) each other.
h other and unlike poles pull (attrac
eac
el)
(rep
h
pus
es
pol
like
t
tha
✓ Demonstrate
materials.
gate magnetic and non-magnetic
esti
inv
to
nd
wa
tic
gne
ma
ir
the
✓ Use
forces.
sed by magnets are called magnetic
✓ Learn that pushes and pulls cau
NUTS & BOLTS
You will need (per student)
■ 6 – 8 Soft feathers from craft shop
or feather boa
■ 15cm length of 3mm doweling rod
■ 4cm length of 3mm doweling rod
(used to push flower into wand)
■ Green or brown insulation tape
■ 2 neodymium magnets 6mm x 2mm
■ 20cm length black tubing
(8mm inner diameter)
■ White insulation tape
■ Plastic plant pot
■ Scissors
■ Glue gun
SECRETS FOR SUCCESS
2 Place the second magnet on the table.
3 Put plant pot on top of it.
4 Lift the doweling rod and place the attached
magnet on the middle of the bottom
of the pot.
5 Lift the pot slowly; the magnet on the table
will attach itself to the base.
6 Secure this magnet in place using tape
(or glue). Make sure the tape is the same
colour as the pot or paint it to match
the base colour.
7 Remove the magnet wand and place the pot
upside down on the table. Point the magnet
on the rod at the magnet stuck on the base.
Bring them closer and closer.
What happens? A push or a pull?
8 Turn the pot upright and very slowly lower
the magnet on the rod into the pot.
What happens? A push or a pull?
9 At this stage you can use the magnet on
the stick to investigate magnetic and
non-magnetic materials. Place a tray with
a range of objects in it and get the students
to classify them.
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1 Attach one of the magnets to the bottom
of the 15cm long doweling rod using
glue (or doubled sided tape).
1
MAGIC MAGNETS
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TEACHER’S NOTES
2
ACTIVITY 1
(CONTD.)
10 Now cut a 3cm length of green tape and
attach it to the table so that it overhangs
the edge of the table.
12 Carefully wrap more green tape down the
length of the rod covering the magnet.
This is the flower.
11 Collect 6 - 8 feathers, hold them like a
bunch of flowers and arrange them
around the middle of doweling rod.
Secure these in place using the tape
attached to the table. Wrap the tape
down and around the rod at an angle,
covering the rod with a single layer of
tape. The tape cannot be wrapped
around the rod thickly as it will not fit
into the magic rod! Note the feathers
should cover the rod. If they are too short
attach them further up the rod.
13 Wrap white electrical tape twice around
each end of the black tubing.
CURRICULUM
LINKS
Skills development:
Working scientifically,
Designing and making.
Curriculum strand units:
Magnetism, Forces,
Properties and
Characteristics of Materials.
14 Push the ‘flower’, magnet end first, into the
wand. Use the smaller rod to fully insert the
flower. Use scissors to trim any feathers
which overhang.
15 Bring the wand into the pot so that the wand
touches the base, and with a flourish and a
loud shout of abracadabra…. Pull the wand
out very quickly… all will be amazed to see
the flower in the pot!
SAFETY
WARNING
!
Neodymium magnets are strong and the field
around them can damage magnetic media such
as credit cards, computer monitors and other
electronic appliances. Small magnets pose a
choking hazard. Never allow neodymium
magnets near a person with a pacemaker
or similar medical device. Students should
not be allowed to take the magnets home
without safety instructions forwarded to parents.
C
I
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A
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C
I
T
STA
TEACHER’S NOTES
Use
ACTIVITY 2
ur friends
o
y
d
n
u
o
st
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to
s
e
rc
electric fo
and family!
During this activity your students will discover that:
✓ Electrical charges can be removed from or attached to
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
materials using rubbing (frictional) forces.
Frictional forces can be pulls or pushes.
Some materials will let you move charges around on their
surfaces but once moved they stay put.
We call these types of materials INSULATORS.
Positive charges repel positive charges.
Negative charges repel negative charges.
Positive and negative charges pull (attract) together.
Charged balloons can be used to attract a range of
materials such as paper, pepper and salt by pushing or
pulling electrons on the surfaces on the materials towards
or away from the balloon.
This movement results in positive and negative surfaces
facing each other and a resulting pulling force is
experienced.
Forces due to positive or negative charges are called
electric forces.
CURRICULUM
LINKS
Skills development:
Working scientifically,
Designing and making.
Curriculum strand units:
Static Electricity,
Properties and
characteristics of
Materials.
NUTS & BOLTS
■ Selection of cloths such as:
fur, silk, nylon, cotton, wool
■ Paper plate
SECRETS FOR SUCCESS
1 Sprinkle pepper on to the paper plate.
2 Blow up the balloon using the pump. Remove it when it is nearly fully blown up and tie it.
(You may wish to have a bag of blown up balloons ready before this activity if time is restricted)
3 Get your students to rub the balloons on their hair or on a sample of cloth.
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You will need (per group of students)
■ Balloon
■ Balloon pump
■ Black pepper
3
STATIC MAGIC
TEACHER’S NOTES
ACTIVITY 2
(CONTD.)
FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS
Can they see any of the charges that have moved?
No! So now get them to lower the balloon slowly downwards
over the pepper on the plate. What happens?
Repeat on different parts of the balloon using different
materials. Do some materials charge the balloon up more
than others?
What is the maximum distance the balloon can be above the
plate before the pepper starts to jump up?
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Does this height change when different materials are used to rub it?
Does this experiment work best on dry or wet days?
Can you remember Scientific Sue's explanation from the Electro-Magnetic Show about why
this works differently on wet days compared to dry days?
4
Why does the pepper jump upwards?
This experiment demonstrates static electricity. When the balloon was rubbed against the hair or
cloth, it picked up, or lost, a few extra electrons. Electrons are small negatively charged particles
that form part of an atom. This happens because the balloon was made of rubber which doesn’t
conduct electricity. Electrons can be moved from one place to another on an insulator, usually by
friction, but once moved they stay in place. Scientific Sue demonstrated this during the
Electro-Magnetic Show with the Magic Static balloon filled with beads.
Let’s assume the balloon gains some electrons; the electrons sit on the surface of the balloon,
they do not move around but remain static. This gives the balloon a negative charge.
■ Pepper has a neutral charge meaning they contain both positive and negative particles.
■ In solids the positive particles are fixed in position, but the negative electrons can move.
■ When the balloon is brought down towards the pepper the electrons on the surface are
pushed away because they are repelled by the extra negative electrons on the balloon
leaving the top of the pepper grains positively charged.
■ These positive charges are weakly attracted to the negatively charged balloon,
causing the pepper to jump up and cling to the balloon.
■ A weak electrical force holds the particles in place and makes them stick to the balloon.
Sample recording sheet for investigations
Type of cloth
e.g. Wool
Pepper
moved Y/N
Distance plate
to balloon cm.
Dry or Wet Day
Wet Day
R
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OWN ‘D
ACTIVITY 3
TEACHER’S NOTES
In this ‘Drawbot Activity’ your students will:
✓ Build an electrical circuit and will use this circuit to move an object.
✓ Learn that the chemical energy in the battery is converted into electrical energy
when the switch is turned on.
✓ Observe that electrical energy can be turned into movement energy.
✓ Design a robot which will use its legs to draw on paper.
You can choose to have your students work in small groups or individually.
Can the design be changed so that the robot can carry a load from one
place to another?
NUTS & BOLTS
You will need per ‘Drawbot’
■
■
■
■
■
Large 1L plastic cup
2 double sided stickers
Switch
AA battery
Battery holder with
connecting wire
■
■
■
■
■
Motor
Motor mount
2 motor tag connectors
Off-centre mass
1 x 20cm connecting
wire
■
■
■
■
■
Wire strippers
3 felt tip pens
Sellotape
2 wiggly eyes stickers
Lining paper to
cover the table
SECRETS FOR SUCCESS
2 Strip the ends of the wires 1cm from each end.
3 Warm the motor mounts in hot water to
expand the plastic (you only need to do this
with the cheaper mounts. The more expensive
ones allow you to push the motor in easily.)
4 Remove them from the water and then
insert the motors.
5 Take one of the double sided stickers and
remove one side of the covering, stick this on
the edge of the bottom of the beaker. This will
be where the motor mount will be placed
later on.
6 Now place the second double sided sticker on
the opposite side of beaker to the motor mount
about 4cm from beaker bottom – this will be
where the battery holder will be placed later on.
7 Strip the ends of wires connected to the
battery holder.
8 Place all components into the beakers.
One beaker per child.
9 Put white lining paper over each table.
www.steps.ie
1 Cut 20cm lengths of red wire one per
‘drawbot’.
5
ENGINEER YOUR
OWN ‘DRAWBOT’
TEACHER’S NOTES
ACTIVITY 3
(CONTD.)
‘DRAWBbeOakTer ’carefAullCy TIVITY12 Attach wiggly eyes
1 Tip contents of
on to the table.
the battery holder with
2 Push the battery into
spring.
the flat end touching the
entre mass’ onto the
3 Push the yellow ‘off-c
es into the hole on
motor. The motor pin go
the edge of the mass.
e down.
4 Turn the beaker upsid
on the top of the sticker
5 Peel off the backing
d mount so that
and attach the motor an
er the edge
the yellow mass hangs ov
of the beaker.
the 20cm wire.
6 Slip a motor tag onto
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rt of the wire into one
7 Thread the metal pa
s; pull the motor
of the motors connector
tor connector,
tag connector over the mo
. Note metal must
securing the wire in place
touch metal.
6
of the battery holder
8 Attach the black wire
ector using the
to the other motor conn
it securely
second motor tag to keep
attached.
20cm length of wire
9 Attach other end of the
g the bare wire
to the switch by threadin
it over and twist the
through the loop, bend
.
wire to secure it in place
the off position!
10 Ensure the switch is in
ry holder to the
Attach red wire from batte
g the bare wire
switch again by threadin
ting loop and
through the metal connec
it in place.
twisting the wire to secure
of the 2nd label and
11 Peel off the backing
r to the cup.
attach the battery holde
above the battery
holder.
d
13 Switch the ‘bot’ on an
watch it jitter over the
table top. Switch it off.
h
14 Using sellotape, attac
cup to acts as
the
to
ns
pe
three felt tip
ly held in place
legs... they must be secure
of sellotape.
with at least 2 or 3 strips
rawbot’ … take off
15 Your ‘bot’ is now a ‘D
the paper
the pen covers, place it on
and switch it on!
ay for inventing
Now thank Michael Farad
e you switch your
electromagnets. Every tim
ws through a coil of
drawbot on electricity flo
at its middle. When
wire which has a magnet
il becomes a magnet
the electricity flows the co
sh against each other
and the two magnets pu
…. When you turn
causing the motor to spin…
of wire stops being a
off the electricity the coil
switched off. Magic!!
magnet and the motor is
suppliers for the
For further information on ities and for
tiv
ac
materials used for these
o Magnetic Shows
information on the Electr
visit www.steps.ie
some of these
A video demonstrating
le on the STEPS
activities is also availab
ntact Scientific Sue
website. Teachers can co om.
t.c
on science2life@tinterne
CURRICULUM LINKS
Skills development: Working
scientifically, Designing and making.
Curriculum strand units:
Magnetism and electricity, Forces.