Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

My daughter did an experiment creating eddy currents with a neodymium magnet and a copper pipe. Her actual experiment was to see whether the magnet dropped faster through copper or PVC.

My question is this (and I’ve scoured the science fair materials she was given) should she take in the 5 ft pipes used OR should she recreate the experiment using shorter pipes? Clearly as an adult I am worried about pipes, magnets, and 5th graders. He experiment won’t be as cool with shorter pipes I think but what is normal science fair protocol? Do they bring in their oversized materials to present with their booth?

Hi tigerlily6200,

It would probably be better to take in the 5 ft pipes for demonstration purposes, but I understand that space might be limited/there might be safety issues. In that case, I would ask the teacher about the situation, as I am not familiar with the setup of your science fair.

Elena