Magnet Experiments (4 different experiments)
Magnet Teacher Demonstrations & Info:
•
Pour iron filings on a transparency to demonstrate that the iron bits make a
pattern around the magnet. More bits go to the poles where the pull is the strongest.
Show several different magnets. Discuss “Inferencing and deductive reasoning”.
(I have ordered individually packed iron filings, but they haven’t arrived yet.)
• There are nails for you to use to magnetize an iron nail.
Have your students draw a conclusion
- Do you think a block of wood can be magnetized? (No, it’s not iron.)
- Do you think a needle can be magnetized? (Yes, because it is iron.)
• Tape a magnet onto a hot wheels car. Use the magnet poles to push or pull it.
Make your own compass
• Tape a bar magnet into a plastic dish or bowl
• Float this dish in a larger bowl of water. Let the dish settle
• After the smaller dish settles, mark the larger bowl with two marks showing where the
magnet turns. These points are North & South.
• Turn the inside dish. (It should always turn to the north.)
• You can add a paper plate on top marked N E S W to make your own compass.
Tidbits of Information about Magnets
1. Natural magnets are made from iron, nickel, and cobalt.
2. A shepherd named Magnes who lived in a Greek town names Magnesia is believed to
have discovered magnets about 4,000 years ago. His discovery was actually an accident.
It happened one day when he was walking and the nails in his shoes and the tip of his metal
staff became stuck on the large black rock he was standing on. The rock was named
Magnetite either after Magnes or the town Magnesia.
3. Magnets used to be so mysterious that they were believed to be able to heal, drive away
evil spirits, and possess magical powers.
4. In the 1600s, William Gilbert discovered that Earth is a giant magnet.
5. Some roller coasters use magnets to help accelerate and slow down the cars on the track.
6. Sometimes magnets are used in the medical field to help reduce pain and speed up healing
of some injuries such as a sprained ankle or arthritis.
7. If a magnet is broken in half, a new pole will form on either end of the magnet creating two
new, separate magnets.
8. It is impossible to have a magnet with only one pole.
Glossary:
Attract: To pull to or draw toward itself.
Bar Magnet: A magnet that is shaped as a straight line.
Force: a push or a pull
Friction: a force that makes it harder to move things
Horseshoe Magnet: A magnet in the shape of a horseshoe
Magnet: A piece of iron, which attracts iron or steel towards it
Magnetic: The power of a magnet to attract iron or steel
Magnetic Force: The pushing or pulling effect of a magnet
Magnetic Field: The region where a magnetic force can be detected
Motion: moving from one place to another
Poles: The north and south ends of a magnets, which has the greatest force
Push: a pressing force
Pull: a tugging force
Repel: To pull away from
Ring Magnet: A magnet in the shape of a circle
Surface: the top or outside of something
Magnet Experiments
Created by Barbara Gurian , Plumb Elementary School - 2008
Magnet Experiment 1 - Attraction Action
Name ____________________
Question: What can magnets do?
A Hypothesis is an educated guess. Scientists do research before they do an experiment.
Learning information about the subject you are testing will help you make a better prediction.
A magnet is a piece of iron that attracts things with iron in them. There are different
types of magnets. This experiment will use a magnetic wand. It has a bar magnet inside a
plastic covering. Every magnet has a north pole and a south pole. Our earth is a large magnet
with a North Pole and a South Pole. The magnetic wand has an S for South and an N for North.
Materials: 1 Magnetic wand per person
Bag with the following objects to choose from:
• cotton ball
• metal ball
• plastic bug, worm, or animal
• paper clip
• nail
• paper
• penny
• hot wheel car
Step by Step Procedures:
1. Make a hypothesis about each object. Write this in pen.
(Remember: Scientists NEVER change their their hypothesis)
2. Test each object using the magnetic wand.
3. Record your DATA by writing down your results.
Data:
Object
My Hypothesis
Pulls
Does NOT Pull
Cotton Ball
Metal Ball
Plastic bug,
worm, or
animal
Paper clip
Nail
Paper
Penny
Hot wheel car
Conclusion: Objects must be made of ________________________ to be magnetic.
(Pennies are made of copper plated zinc.)
Magnet Experiments
Created by Barbara Gurian , Plumb Elementary School - 2008
Magnet Experiment 2 - Push and Pull
Name ____________________
Question #1: Do magnets pull and push?
A Hypothesis is an educated guess. Here’s some information that will help you make a more informed
guess. Magnets have two different poles: a North Pole and a South Pole. In this experiment you will test
four types of magnets. A bar magnet is a rectangular prism shape. The magnetic wand has a bar magnet
inside the plastic. The horseshoe magnet goes in a half circle. The button magnet is round. This one also
has a hole in the middle. Magnet Poles attract (pull) or repel (push) each other.
I think the North Pole will ___________________________ the South Pole.
Attract (pull) or Repel (push)
Materials: 2 Magnetic wand, two small bar magnets, two button magnets, one large and two small
horseshoe magnet
Step by Step Procedures: 1. Test each set of magnets. 2. Draw a picture of each type of magnet.
3. Circle Pull (attract) or push (repel) in each box.
Data - Drawings of what was learned for each magnet.
North to North
Magnet
North to South
or
South to North
South to South
Horseshoe
Magnet
(small)
Pull (attract) or push (repel)
Pull (attract) or push (repel)
Pull (attract) or push (repel)
Pull (attract) or push (repel)
Pull (attract) or push (repel)
Pull (attract) or push (repel)
Pull (attract) or push (repel)
Pull (attract) or push (repel)
Pull (attract) or push (repel)
Bar
Magnet
(small)
Magnetic
Wand
Conclusion: I learned that _______to_________ attract or pull.
I learned that _______ to ________ repel or push.
The Button Magnet is not
marked N or S. Infer which
side is North and South.
Test your prediction and
draw it. .
North to North or South to South
Pull (attract) or push (repel)
Magnet Experiments
(N to N
or
N to S)
North to South
Pull (attract) or push (repel)
Created by Barbara Gurian , Plumb Elementary School - 2008
Magnet Experiment 3 - Pulling Power
Name ___________________________
Question #1: Does gravity affect the strength of the magnetic pull?
A Hypothesis is an educated guess. Here’s some information that will help you make a more
informed guess. The earth tries to pull everything down toward its center. This pull is called the force of
gravity. You have to pull against gravity when you lift things up.
I think the magnet will pull the magnetic chip or paper clip farther when the ruler is
________________________________________________________________________
flat on the table
or
standing up
Materials: 2 Magnetic wand, 1 ruler using the centimeter side, either magnetic chips or paper clips.
Step by Step Procedures:
Experiment A
1. Put your ruler flat on the table with the centimeter side up.
2. Put the top of the chip or clip on the zero “0”.
3. Start the magnetic wand at 20 cm. and SLOWLY move it toward the chip or clip.
(Wait for a few seconds at each mark.)
4. When the chip or clip jumps to the magnet, look at the number beside the magnet.
Record your data. Do four tests. Take turns with your partner..
Experiment B
1. Do the same thing as test 1, but this time stand the ruler up. (Work with your partner on this.)
2. Lay the chip or clip on the table by the zero “0”.
3. Start the magnetic wand at 20 cm. and SLOWLY move it towards the chip or clip. (Wait at each mark.)
4. Record your Data.
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
Average
(Intermediate
students)
Experiment A
Ruler lying
FLAT on the
table
Experiment B
Ruler
standing up
on the table.
Conclusion: Gravity _____________ have an affect on the strength of the magnetic pull.
did or did not
Infer: What do you think would happen if you used the horseshoe shaped magnet?
__________________________________________________________________________
Magnet Experiments
Created by Barbara Gurian , Plumb Elementary School - 2008
Magnet Experiment 4 - Clips Ahoy
Name ___________________________
Question #1: Does the type of magnet affect the number of clips it can pick up?
A Hypothesis is an educated guess.
I think the __________________magnet will pick up more paper clips than the __________________.
horseshoe or wand
horseshoe or wand
Materials: 1 Magnetic wand, 1 horseshoe magnet, paper clips
Step by Step Procedures:
1. Make a pile of paper clips. Dip the magnet into the clips.
2. Count the clips. 3. Record your data and repeat
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
Average
(Intermediate
students)
Experiment A
Magnetic
Wand
Experiment B
Horseshoe
Magnet
Magnet Experiment 4B - Clips Ahoy through card stock paper.
Question #2: Does the type of magnet pulling though paper affect the number of clips
it can pick up?
I think the number of clips picked up through the paper will be _____________ than in experiment #4.
more or less
Materials: 1 Magnetic wand, 1 horseshoe magnet, paper clips, card stock paper
Step by Step Procedures:
1. Make a pile of paper clips on top of the paper. Place the magnet UNDER the paper.
Then dump off the clips that did not attach to the magnet.
2. Count the clips. 3. Record your data and repeat
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
Average
(Intermediate
students)
Experiment A
Magnetic
Wand
Experiment B
Horseshoe
Magnet
Conclusion: The magnetic attraction ___________________________ when going through an
object.
(is stronger, is weaker, is the same)
Magnet Experiments
Created by Barbara Gurian , Plumb Elementary School - 2008