comparing the strength of magnets

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marlene025
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 7:12 am
Occupation: financial professional
Project Question: please help me with my science project.. comparing the strengths of magnets with paper clips
Project Due Date: 1/7/11
Project Status: I am conducting my research

comparing the strength of magnets

Post by marlene025 »

Good Morning,

Please help!! i would like info on comparing the strength of bar, disk ring, horseshoe and cow magnets with paper clips. Time is running out.

Thank you kindly,
barretttomlinson
Former Expert
Posts: 932
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:24 am

Re: comparing the strength of magnets

Post by barretttomlinson »

Hi,

Here is a Science Buddies project about building a Hall effect gauss meter and using it to measure the strength of magnets:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p030.shtml

Here is a second project that measures the variation in magnetic strength with temperature by checking the number of paper clips the magnet can lift:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p025.shtml

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

Barrett Tomlinson
Liliane
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:59 am
Occupation: Engineer
Project Question: Temperature effect on Magnet
Project Due Date: March 01, 2011
Project Status: I am conducting my experiment

Re: comparing the strength of magnets

Post by Liliane »

Please help,
My 4th grader daughter is interested in this experiment. we tried it by counting the clips in the room temperature, then we tried to heat the magnet for 15 minutes on the stove in boiling water for 15 minutes, it didn't work, then for 20 minutes, but it was still holding a lot of clips, maybe more than the other one in the room temperature! also we put another one in a cup of water in the freezer for 15 minutes, but same result! how can I heat the magnet to loose a good amount of its strenght, and should I put it in water in the freezer or put it by itself, and for how long. the due date for submitting the project idea is Monday, 01/24/11....Thanks
Craig_Bridge
Former Expert
Posts: 1297
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:47 am

Re: comparing the strength of magnets

Post by Craig_Bridge »

The typical temperatures required are in the hundreds of degrees C to see any large effect on the materials used in most commercial magnets. The fact that you saw a change is great.

The Curie Temperature http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curie_temperature is the point at which magnetic properties disapear completely is listed for several materials.

Try running an experiment in an oven to determine how many clips drop off as the temperature is raised from room temperature to 450 degrees F.
-Craig
Liliane
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:59 am
Occupation: Engineer
Project Question: Temperature effect on Magnet
Project Due Date: March 01, 2011
Project Status: I am conducting my experiment

Re: comparing the strength of magnets

Post by Liliane »

is there a specific magnet we should get, or any kind would work?
thanks
Goldenzenith
Former Student Expert
Posts: 117
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 6:14 am
Occupation: Student: 12th grade
Project Question: n/a
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: Not applicable

Re: comparing the strength of magnets

Post by Goldenzenith »

Hi Liliane,

It seems that, according to one of the previously mentioned projects, five to ten permanent iron magnets that are all equally sized and equally strong should be good.

Hope this helps,
RM
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