Magnets: Attract and Repel (Part 3)

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
potential

Materials Needed

spring scale
stopwatch
pencils
toy cars
ramps
string

Safety First

Do not mix unknown chemicals together.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read about Energy and write down three key facts.

Step 2 — 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 — Observe

Look for patterns in your observations.

Step 4 — 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?