Science: Magnetism
Science: Magnetism
Magnetism creates a lot of fun at our house. My children took the magnets from the fridge last night and walked through our house trying to get all the "grippies" lying around since my daughter keeps losing hers.
This created endless amounts of fun, you would never think of so many things in our house has magnetic properties. At least they found my daughters missing earring.
How to introduce magnetism to your kids?
Give your kid a little magnet and let them go through the house and see how many things and what type of things they can pick up, using only the magnet.
Let's start at the beginning...
What is magnetism?
Magnetism is a force that is created by an electric current that is most likely caused by the moving electrons.
What is magnets?
A magnet has two ends that we call poles, a north pole/north-seeking pole or a south pole/south-seeking pole. The north pole of a magnet attracts the south pole of a second magnet, but the north-pole of one magnet repels the north-pole.
Image by Sciencekids
A magnet creates an invisible area round itself, magnetism, we call it a magnetic field. The amazing thing is that the earth also has a magnetic field, this is because earth contains magnetic materials that allow it to behave like a gigantic magnet.
Along with magnetism we also get magnetization. This means that you convert an item to a magnet even though if it isn't traditionally a magnet. Magnetization occurs when you run a magnet over an unmagnetized item like an iron nail, and convert it into a magnet.
Video about magnets and magnetism
Video 1
Video Source
Creating a magnetic spinning pen
You will need the following
- A square of corrugated cardboard
- 3 small dowel rods – we used 3/16″ dowels
- Cereal box cardboard
- Four ring magnets (Or here’s a more colorful option)
- Modeling clay
- A pen
- A coin
- Hot glue gun
- Scissors
Instructions
- Take the cereal box cardboard. Use a large cup and draw a circle, then use the smaller cup, put it inside the larger cup and draw another circle. Cut out along the larger circle's line. and then on the smaller circles line, to create a ring. DON' cut through the larger circle, it must still be intact.
- Arrange the tree magnets around the circle in such a way that they repel each other.
- Take the hot glue gun and glue the magnets to the cardboard ring.
- The adult then uses a sharp object to poke a hole along the ring, where the three magnets will be. This is for the dowels to be put through.
Image by Frugalfun4boys - Slide the dowels through the hole's made in the cardboard ring.
- Use clay to put the fourth magnet over the ring. This fourth magnet should be assembled in such a way that it is attracted to the other magnets.
- Make sure you assemble your pen, dowels, and magnets similar to the bottom pictures. The magnet of the pen should be elevated above the other magnets
Image Source - NOW SPIN YOUR PEN!
