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Krampf #496 Which is the Magnet?
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KRA-@aol.com
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Aug 02, 2007 20:53 PDT
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Robert Krampf's Experiment of the Week:
#496 Which is the Magnet?
Greetings from our house at the beach. Nancy and I have moved down to St.
Augustine for a few days, to work on the beach house, swim, and rebuild my
Tesla coil in preparation of taping my Electricity DVD. The summer is still
moving at a fast pace. On top of all the new business opportunities, I am
getting new eyes. Well, not really new eyes, but it will seem that way. I have
developed a cataract on my right eye, and when I have it fixed, they will
correct my vision. For the first time in over 40 years, I will be able to see the
stars, the birds, and the glories of nature without my glasses.
This week's science video shows you how to produce beautiful smoke rings, and
learn about something called a vortex at the same time. You can find it at:
http://www.krampf.com/experiment_vid.html
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This week's experiment is a fun science puzzle involving magnets. To try
it, you will need:
a strong magnet (available at most hardware stores)
three paper clips
Straighten two of the paper clips, so that you have two long, fairly straight
pieces of wire. Get both as straight as you can. Place one aside. Hold
the other, and rub one end of the magnet along the paper clip, starting at
your finger, and moving to the other end. Move the magnet away from the metal
and repeat the process. Keep stroking the magnet along the paper clip, always
in the same direction, for about 40 strokes. By doing this, we are
magnetizing the paper clip.
Test the magnetized paper clip by bringing one end of it near the extra paper
clip, the one that you did not straighten. If your paper clip is magnetized
enough, it should attract the other clip. If not, try again with the
procedure above.
Once you have the paper clip magnetized, you are ready for the challenge.
Put both of the straightened paper clips together. Mix them until you are not
sure which is which. The challenge is to figure out which one is the magnet
and which is not, but you cannot use ANYTHING else to test with. No fair
using the third paper clip, iron filings, a compass, or anything else. You are
also not allowed to break the paper clips. The two straightened clips are
all you need to figure it out.
So, how do you find out which is which? If I told you, you would just say,
"Oh that makes sense." instead of really trying it. If you are really
patient, you could wait until next week for the answer, but I bet you have enough
scientific curiosity to actually get the materials and try it yourself.
Have a wonder-filled week!
Robert Krampf
Robert Krampf's Science Education Company
www.krampf.com
The Happy Scientist Blog
http://web.mac.com/krampf/iWeb/Site/TheHappyScientist/TheHappyScientist.html
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