Mad Science of Sacramento Valley - N For North!
Channel: Mad Science of Sacramento Valley
Date: 25/08/2014

What you need:
Shallow bowl of water
Paper clip
Foam plate
Scissors
Magnet
Marker
Compas(optional)

What you do:
1. Brush the paper clip across the magnet 10-20 times. Always brush it in the same direction.
2. Touch your paperclip to a piece of metal, such as the scissors to test if it is magnetized, if they stick together, then it is!
3. Draw a circle on the foam plate; it should be a bit bigger than the paper clip. Cut out the circle.
4. Write the letter N at one end of the circle and the letter S at the opposite end of the circle.
5. Float the circle in the bowl of water.
6. Center tyout magnetic paper clip on the circle to connect the N and the S. What happens?

What's going on:
You magnetized a paper clip! Paper clips are steel, and steel is a metal that can be magnetized. Metals that magnetize all have magnetic domains in them. These domains can face up, down, left, or right. When the metal is brushed with a magnet, the domains line up and face the same way. This creates a magnetic field. The more you brush the paperclip
with the magnet, the more it magnetizes. Did you know that the Earth is a big magnet too? Magnetic fields flow from one pole to the other pole. Your floating paper clip magnet turns to line up with these magnetic fields. It points to the Earth's North (N) and South (S) Poles.

Now Try this!:
Can you turn your floating magnet into a real compass? You need to figure out which end of
the paper clip points to the North Pole and place it near the N on your floating circle. If you
have a compass, compare it with your floating magnet.

Mad Science of Sacramento Valley
(916)779-0390
Sacramento.MadScience.org
info@madsciencesacto.com
Serving Placer, El Dorado, Solano, Amador, Sutter, San Joaquin, Yolo and Sacramento Counties!!!