MAGNETIZING WITH MAGNETO (small groups)
Magneto is a superhero who can control metal. By tapping into the power of magnetism, an invisible force that pulls things together or pushes things apart, he can throw cars and move buildings all with the flick of a finger. The Earth itself also happens to be one big magnet, creating a magnetic field, or type of force field, that extends miles beneath the Earth’s surface and into space.
Now, split campers into 8 groups of 3 or 4, giving each group two magnets. Have campers hold the magnets close together. What happens? Can they make the magnets stick together or push each other away? Now have them use the magnet to pick up a paperclip.
Explain that just like Earth, magnets have to opposite ends, …show more content…
Start by having campers hold two paperclips close together. Do the paperclips stick together? (No.) As a group, hypothesize ways to get them to stick together.
Paperclips are metal, so they are attracted to magnets. Have one camper hold the magnet and another student place a paperclip underneath. The paper clip should attach to the magnet. The paper clip should be hanging directly towards the ground. Now very carefully, add paper clips one by one to the end of the chain, as each one should be attracted to the magnet through the paperclips. The longer the chain, the stronger the magnet!
Ask campers where the magnetic field is the strongest (closest to the magnet) and weakest (further away from the magnet). Eventually, the further away from the magnet you go, the magnetic field becomes too weak to hold onto another paperclip.
Now, have groups predict what will happen when the magnet is removed. Will the chain of paperclips stay together or fall apart?
Have one camper hold onto the top of the paper clip chain and another student carefully remove the magnet. What happens? (The paperclips should remain in the …show more content…
How can you get things to float or sink? The less you move in the quicksand, the more you float. If the villain knows anything about the science of quicksand, he will remain calm and gently wiggle his legs until enough water flows between him and the quicksand and he can float back towards the top. And if he isn’t, he’ll be stuck and unable to chase Petra any longer. So, what’s the science behind quicksand?
Well, quicksand is a suspension, which is a soupy mix of liquids and solids. In the real-world, it’s sand flooded with water — in this experiment, it’s cornstarch mixed into water, but it’s the same idea. When there’s lots of water between the solid bits, the quicksand can flow like a liquid (this is why you can fall into quicksand — the liquid-y substance can’t support any weight). But, when it’s compressed (like when someone falls in, or when you slap the quicksand against the table) the solid parts get squished together. The friction between all the little solid bits keeps it from flowing and suddenly the quicksand acts more like a solid, which is why it’s so hard to pull yourself out of
Magneto is a superhero who can control metal. By tapping into the power of magnetism, an invisible force that pulls things together or pushes things apart, he can throw cars and move buildings all with the flick of a finger. The Earth itself also happens to be one big magnet, creating a magnetic field, or type of force field, that extends miles beneath the Earth’s surface and into space.
Now, split campers into 8 groups of 3 or 4, giving each group two magnets. Have campers hold the magnets close together. What happens? Can they make the magnets stick together or push each other away? Now have them use the magnet to pick up a paperclip.
Explain that just like Earth, magnets have to opposite ends, …show more content…
Start by having campers hold two paperclips close together. Do the paperclips stick together? (No.) As a group, hypothesize ways to get them to stick together.
Paperclips are metal, so they are attracted to magnets. Have one camper hold the magnet and another student place a paperclip underneath. The paper clip should attach to the magnet. The paper clip should be hanging directly towards the ground. Now very carefully, add paper clips one by one to the end of the chain, as each one should be attracted to the magnet through the paperclips. The longer the chain, the stronger the magnet!
Ask campers where the magnetic field is the strongest (closest to the magnet) and weakest (further away from the magnet). Eventually, the further away from the magnet you go, the magnetic field becomes too weak to hold onto another paperclip.
Now, have groups predict what will happen when the magnet is removed. Will the chain of paperclips stay together or fall apart?
Have one camper hold onto the top of the paper clip chain and another student carefully remove the magnet. What happens? (The paperclips should remain in the …show more content…
How can you get things to float or sink? The less you move in the quicksand, the more you float. If the villain knows anything about the science of quicksand, he will remain calm and gently wiggle his legs until enough water flows between him and the quicksand and he can float back towards the top. And if he isn’t, he’ll be stuck and unable to chase Petra any longer. So, what’s the science behind quicksand?
Well, quicksand is a suspension, which is a soupy mix of liquids and solids. In the real-world, it’s sand flooded with water — in this experiment, it’s cornstarch mixed into water, but it’s the same idea. When there’s lots of water between the solid bits, the quicksand can flow like a liquid (this is why you can fall into quicksand — the liquid-y substance can’t support any weight). But, when it’s compressed (like when someone falls in, or when you slap the quicksand against the table) the solid parts get squished together. The friction between all the little solid bits keeps it from flowing and suddenly the quicksand acts more like a solid, which is why it’s so hard to pull yourself out of