11

Lesson 11 of 84 ยท Magnets

Experimentโญ 30 XPโšก Spark Lab

Magnets: Attract and Repel

๐ŸงชLab Brief #11

Magnets: Attract and Repel.

๐ŸŽฏ Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

โšก The twist

The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.

๐Ÿคฏ

Mind = Blown

๐Ÿ”ฅ A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

๐Ÿ”ฎ

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what happens if you double the force?

What You'll Learn

Magnets have north and south poles. Opposite poles attract and like poles repel. The magnetic field is strongest at the poles and gets weaker with distance.

Key Words

  • energy
  • kinetic

Materials Needed

  • ruler
  • cardboard
  • marbles
  • paper clips
  • rubber bands

Safety First

  • Tie back long hair before starting the experiment.
  • Protect your work surface with newspaper or plastic.

Steps

Step 1 โ€” Read

Read about Magnets and write down three key facts.

Step 2 โ€” Do

Build an electromagnet by wrapping insulated wire around a nail and connecting it to a battery. Test how many paper clips it can pick up. Try adding more wire coils.

Step 3 โ€” Observe

Look for patterns in your observations.

Step 4 โ€” Record

Make a graph or chart showing your results.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What happens when like magnetic poles are brought together?

๐ŸŒ

Where you see this in real life

This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.

๐Ÿ†

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง

For the dinner table

โ€œShow me something at home that uses this kind of energy.โ€

๐ŸŽฏ

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

๐ŸŒก๏ธShare card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ

Checkout complete lesson on Magnets for 3rd Grade

Get the full Magnets track as a printable PDF โ€” all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

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