Magnets are Marvelous

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In this activity, young learners investigate magnets. Learners discover that some magnets are stronger than others and that magnets have north and south poles. They also learn how to make their own magnet using a nail, and then use this idea to create a compass. Learners also discover that magnets can damage cassette tapes. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Learning Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 4 - 11
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • Magnets of different strengths (at least one should be a bar magnet)
  • Paperclips
  • Iron nail
  • Audio cassette tape and player
  • A variety of materials to test
  • Cork
  • Dish of water

Keywords

Subjects

  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Metallurgy and Materials Engineering
  • Physical Sciences
    • Electricity and Magnetism
      • Electromagnetic Fields

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Parpi, Jeevak

Rights:

Funding Sources:

  • NSF Grant DMR, 1120296
  • NSF Grant DMR, 0079992