Suspend Metal in Mid-Air!
What You Need:
What You Need:
- Strong magnet
- Small paper clip
- Thread, about four inches
- Tape
Tip: You can use a magnet off the refrigerator, but this will work best with a strong magnet and a small paperclip
Question: How can you suspend metal in mid-air?
1) First, tie one end of the thread to one end of the paperclip .
2) Then, tape the other end of the thread to a table .
3) Use the magnet to raise the paperclip off the table. Stretch the thread as far as it will go.
4) Now gently pull the paperclip away from the magnet.
5) Keep Trying. You’ll soon find the exact place where the magnet holds the paperclip in mid-air?
A Scientific Explanation:
Magnetic force attracts, or pulls, magnets and metal together. This invisible force field extends, or reaches, all around the magnet. The paperclip floats in the air because it is caught in the magnet’s force field.
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Try putting a slip of paper between the paperclip and the magnet. Can you explain what happens?
Question: How can you suspend metal in mid-air?
1) First, tie one end of the thread to one end of the paperclip .
2) Then, tape the other end of the thread to a table .
3) Use the magnet to raise the paperclip off the table. Stretch the thread as far as it will go.
4) Now gently pull the paperclip away from the magnet.
5) Keep Trying. You’ll soon find the exact place where the magnet holds the paperclip in mid-air?
A Scientific Explanation:
Magnetic force attracts, or pulls, magnets and metal together. This invisible force field extends, or reaches, all around the magnet. The paperclip floats in the air because it is caught in the magnet’s force field.
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Try putting a slip of paper between the paperclip and the magnet. Can you explain what happens?
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