Measure the “Speed” of Magnets
Speed of magnets
Measure the “Speed” of Magnets
Overview
Discover how fast different type of magnets can make their way through a Copper tube.
Materials
• 1/2 inch diameter copper tube, 7.5 inches long
• Ceramic magnet, 1/2 inch diameter and .2 inch thick
• Neodymium magnet, 1/2 inch diameter and .2 inch thick
Procedure
1. Hold the copper tube straight up
2. Take your ceramic magnet and let it drop into the copper tube
3. Measure how long it takes for it to come out at the bottom
4. Take the neodymium magnet and let it drop into the tube
5. Measure how long it takes for it to fall through the tube.
Observations
The ceramic magnet falls through the tube in one and a half seconds. The neodymium magnet takes longer. About 7 seconds.
Explanation
The magnets are repelled by the copper and hover in the middle and then slowly go down the whole tube. The magnetic field of the neodymium magnets is stronger. Therefore it takes it longer to fall through the tube.