How much can a magnet carry?

An experiment that contains both science and practical mathematics. Alex counted for 137 nails that stuck to the magnet and could certainly have counted longer if the nails in the box had not run out. Can all magnets hold the same number of things, or does it differ, and if so, why? Something to look into!

If you like, you can start by:

Make your own magnet

Take a magnet and stroke a needle several times (about 20 times needed) after the end of the magnet, but always in the same direction, not back and forth. Try picking up some metal with the needle / needle. Is it working? Then you have made a magnet that turns so that it has the north end towards the magnetic south pole and the south end towards the magnetic north pole.

By pulling the magnet toward the needle, many of the iron atoms in the needle rotate so that their magnetic fields begin to interact. This causes the needle to start acting like a magnet.

How strong is your magnet?

  • What can it pull?
  • How much can it lift?
  • How many train carriages can the magnet hold simultaneously in a long chain, before the chain is broken?
  • Can it make metal objects jump off the table?
  • How high in that case?

Hur mycket kan en magnet lyfta?

Ett experiment som innehåller både naturvetenskap och praktisk matematik. Alex räknade till 137 spikar som satt fast på magneten och hade säkert kunnat räkna längre om inte spikarna i lådan hade tagit slut. Kan alla magneter hålla lika många saker, eller skiljer det sig, och i så fall varför? Något att undersöka!

Om ni vill kan ni börja med att:

Göra en egen magnet

Tag en magnet och stryk en nål flera gånger (cirka 20 gånger behövs) efter änden på magneten, men hela tiden åt samma håll, inte fram och tillbaka. Prova att plocka upp något av metall med stickan/nålen. Fungerar det? Då har du gjort en magnet som vänder sig så den har nordändan mot den magnetiska sydpolen och sydändan mot den magnetiska nordpolen.

Genom att dra med magneten mot nålen vrider sig många av järnatomerna i nålen så deras magnetfält börjar samverka. Detta gör att nålen börjar fungera som en magnet.

Hur stark är din magnet?

  • Vad kan den dra?
  • Hur mycket kan den lyfta?
  • Hur många tågvagnar kan magneten hålla samtidigt i en lång kedja, innan kedjan bryts?
  • Kan den få metallföremål att hoppa upp från bordet?
  • Hur högt i så fall?

Hide the stone – with clues

Stimulate and challenge children in their mathematical development. Work with the mathematical area of ​​locating by having children encounter different concepts and being challenged in formulating and listening to different concepts that indicate location.

Procedure:
• The hider of the stone goes away and finds a good hiding place for the stone. When the stone is hidden, the hider goes to the other participants and gives them a clue, for example that the stone is under something high beside some brown.
• The participants must now observe the surroundings and try to find the stone.
• If more clues are needed, all participants are reassembled and the hider gives more descriptions, for example that the stone is below something high that is brown and green, next to something long and brown, rather than something narrow and green.
• Participants continue to search. When the stone is found, the participant who found the stone may hide it.
As an adult, it is important to support both the hider and the explorer in formulating and interpreting the concepts used.

Gömma stenen – med ledtrådar

Stimulera och utmana barnen i sin matematiska utveckling. Arbeta med det matematiska området lokalisera, genom att barnen möter olika begrepp och utmanas i att formulera och lyssna på skilda begrepp som anger läge.

Tillvägagångssätt:

  • Gömmaren av stenen går iväg och hittar ett bra gömställe för stenen. När stenen är gömd går gömmaren till de övriga deltagarna och ger dem en ledtråd, till exempel att stenen ligger under något högt bredvid något brunt.
  • Deltagarna måste nu iaktta omgivningen och försöka hitta stenen.
  • Behövs fler ledtrådar samlas alla deltagare igen och gömmaren får ge fler beskrivningar, till exempel att stenen ligger under något högt som är brunt och grönt, bredvid något långt och brunt, framför något smalt och grönt.
  • Deltagarna fortsätter att leta. När stenen är hittad får den deltagare som hittade stenen gömma den.

Som vuxen är det viktigt att stötta både gömmaren och letarna med att formulera och tolka de begrepp som används.

Make Another Boat

This is an experiment that shows that the shape of an object is important in order to get the object to float in water, but it is also an experiment that can be difficult for children to do themselves, as there are several steps to take into account and many instructions for getting a boat floating. When successful, it is very fun!
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, beat over the boiling water. Add the oil and caramel color, and quickly combine the ingredients into a dough. Allow to cool slightly before use!
Give the children a piece of dough and let them shape a boat as they like. Try it in the water and see if it floats. It probably does not, because the shape is so important for the flow properties of the clay (the clay has a higher density than water, and usually sink). In order for the clay to flow, it must be shaped like a coffee cup or a glass, ie as a vessel with high edges.
A further development is to let the children try to build boats of several different types of clay. Is there any mud that floats, no matter how you shape it, or is the shape of the boat equally crucial for all types of clay?

If you need is, here is a recipe on dough:

  • 5 dl flour
  • 5 cups of boiling water
  • 2 dl salt
  • 2 tablespoons citric acid / alum (can also be completely excluded)
  • 1 tablespoon of oil (can also be completely excluded)
  • Food Coloring if you like

Make a Boat

Can a boat be built from anything? And how come boats made of metal can float when metal really drops?
Let the children carpenter, paste, screw and build their boat to their liking and taste, and then let them try the boat in a suitable tub or pool to see if it floats. If it does not flow, you may continue to work with the construction.
Ebba has decided to build a boat using a picture frame she found in the workshop. On it she tapes a piece of paper and then the boat is ready. Sure, Ebba’s boat is floating! Sure the tape dissolves in the water fairly quickly, but the sheer joy of designing is worth taking advantage of.