Question

First begin by grabbing two magnets that you might find lying around home. If they are fridge magnets, or similar, then place the two faces towards each other about 10 cm apart, and slowly bring them close together.

A. Do you feel any force, push or pull, interacting between the magnets? Describe what you notice. Be sure to comment on the distance between magnets.

B. Now, flip ONE magnet to the other face, and repeat the experiment, starting about 10cm away from each other and then slowly bringing them together. Do you notice a push or pull? Explain and again be sure to comment on distance.

C. Now take one of the magnets and bring it close to a metal paperclip. What do you notice? Repeat this procedure, only be sure to hold the paperclip in your hand. Comment on the effect of distance.

D. Assume you just used the “north” end of the magnet in #3 (though we don’t know this for certain). Repeat #3 with the “south”, or opposite, end of the magnet and write down your results below.

Answer 1