HYPOTHESIS: 1) Magnets work because all the little magnets inside of them work together. By jumbling up the little magnets, I will become demagnetized.
METHOD: 1) Put Hand on claw mode and get Hand to smash me, as hard as she can.
2) Put Hand on torch mode and torch me, PAL, so I get really hot.
RESULT: 1) Smashing was not strong enough to demagnetize the magnet.
2) The hot flames worked! They jumbled up the tiny magnets and stopped them from working together.
CONCLUSION: I am not a magnet anymore!
EXTENSION ACTIVITY
Create your own magnet!
You will need the following materials:
• Tape
• A D-cell battery
• Small magnetic objects (e.g., paper clips)
• Copper wire with plastic coating (~100cm, 36 inches)
• Iron nail (~8cm long, 3 inches)
Once you have gathered all your materials, you are ready to make your own magnet! Make sure an adult is with you and follow these steps:
1. Wrap the wire around the nail but make sure to leave 20cm of the wire free on BOTH ends.
2. Ask the adult helping you to peel off about 2cm (1 inch) of the plastic coating from each end of the wire.
3. Use the tape to attach each end of the wire to either end of the battery. The wire may get hot so be very careful!
4. Hold the tip of the nail close to the small magnetic objects. The tip of the nail should pick up the objects!
What’s happening?
When electricity passes through some kinds of metals, it is able to turn them into magnets! When the electric current passes through the wire, it creates a magnetic field in the iron nail, allowing it to pick up other metals!
SYNOPSIS FOR TEACHERS / PARENTS:
In this episode, while Anne is experimenting with magnetism, PAL gets stuck to Hand when she is in magnet mode. Anne realizes that some of PAL’s parts are made up of magnetic metals, and getting stuck to Hand’s powerful magnet turned PAL into a magnet! Anne, Shania, Nick and Nick’s friend Zach, must find a way to demagnetize PAL.
This episode teaches children about the properties of magnets and magnetic metals. Furthermore, children will begin to understand the fundamentals of magnetizing and demagnetizing a material.
CURRICULUM EXPECTATIONS:
Grade 3 Science - Understanding Matter and Energy: Forces Causing Movement
2.1 Follow established safety procedures during science and technology investigations
2.2 Investigate forces that cause an object to start moving, stop moving, or change direction
2.3 Conduct investigations to determine the effects of increasing or decreasing the amount of force applied to an object
2.4 Use technological problem-solving skills and knowledge acquired from previous investigations, to design and build devices that use forces to create controlled movement
3.2 Identify different kinds of forces
3.3 Describe how different forces applied to an object at rest can cause the object to start, stop, attract, repel, or change direction
3.4 Explain how forces are exerted through direct contact or through interaction at a distance
3.5 Identify ways in which forces are used in their daily lives
