Magnets: Science Activities, Lessons, PowerPoint, Assessment, Worksheets, & More

Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other. Examples of an electric force could include the force on hair from an electrically charged balloon and the electrical forces between a charged rod and pieces of paper; examples of a magnetic force could include the force between two permanent magnets, the force between an electromagnet and steel paperclips, and the force exerted by one magnet versus the force exerted by two magnets. Examples of cause and effect relationships could include how the distance between objects affects strength of the force and how the orientation of magnets affects the direction of the magnetic force. Assessment is limited to forces produced by objects that can be manipulated by students, and electrical interactions are limited to static electricity.