Question from class: *What do magnets interact with?*
Basically, everyone said "metals". I am quite surprised. No one specifically indicated that magnets only interact with iron and steel (of the materials they would likely see). I understand that steel is a very common material they are likely to encounter, but what about aluminum? I think this points to the idea that very few of my students have actually played with magnets. This is a shame. Everyone loves magnets.
So, I propose you go out and give someone you love some magnets today.
- Log in to post comments
More like this
And lo and behold. Another semester has ended. I was going to post about somethings from my physical science course (for non-science) majors. Then I noticed that both Ethan at Starts With a Bang! and Farady's Cage posted about their semester reflections. I vote that the academic blogging…
I am totally ready to get back to blogging. In fact, I have a post that is 3/4th complete that I have been working on since before Christmas. Anyway, in order to procrastinate a little bit more I would like to share two learning observations (maybe they are not really about learning).
Kids these…
So, this post is almost ten days old, but I just now found some time to actually read the 35 comments on it as well as what others wrote about it on their blogs. I guess it is time to continue that conversation now.
First, let me be clear about the origin of that rant: I've been teaching for quite…
The basic idea of the student response system is that each student gets some electronical (or not - see below) device that lets them answer multiple-choice questions. (Science Geek Girl has a good summary of clickers also) A computer then displays the distribution of responses for the class.…
I know what you mean, but magnets interact pretty strongly with any material, and particularly conductors. Try dropping a rare earth magnet through a section of copper tubing, for example. There's a whole host of other examples, like 'levitating' aluminium blocks in MRI scanners ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxC-AEC0ROk
I'm sure this wasn't the idea in all - if any - of the student's minds.
Magnets interact with aluminum. That interaction is why a speedometer works (or at least a classic, non-digital speedometer). A spinning magnet induces an eddy current in an aluminum cup.
Magnets interact with Bismuth, which is highly diamagnetic. Try hanging a lump of Bismuth on a long string, and then approaching it with a magnet. Bismuth repels the field.
Dave