This activity explores magnetism. It requires the simple task of using a magnet to steer a coin through the side of a plastic bottle using a maze.
What you will need for this activity
- A large plastic bottle
- A coin
- A magnet
- A marker pen
How does it all work?
A magnet is anything that has a magnetic field around it. For this activity, the magnet’s field temporarily makes the coin into another magnet. The two magnets attract, and the coin is pulled towards the magnet. Only certain materials are affected by magnetic fields in this way; by far the most effective is iron. Many modern coins are made of steel (an alloy made mostly of iron) coated with a thin layer of either copper or nickel. Twenty pence coins are made of an alloy of copper and nickel, and will not work in this activity.
Follow these steps
- Draw a maze onto the bottle with a marker pen
- Drop the coin inside the bottle and use a magnet to guide the coin through the maze
- Try doing the same with other objects like buttons or paper clips. What one’s work?
- Try drawing different mazes for different challenges
Magnets have many uses in everyday life, from sticking photos onto fridges or to close your purse.