Make Your Own Magnet-Powered Car
What is a magnet? You can move a car without ever touching it by turning a regular toy car into a magnet-powered car. Push it forward, make it turn, and park it using magnetism, an incredible invisible force. With this activity, you will learn all about it and create your own magnet-powered car.
Magnetism is defined as “a physical phenomenon produced by the motion of electric charge, resulting in attractive and repulsive forces between objects.
A magnet has two ends called poles, a north pole or north-seeking pole and a south pole or south-seeking pole. So we have the common saying: like poles repel, unlike poles attract. A magnet creates an invisible area of magnetism all around it called a magnetic field.
This activity will help you see how magnetism is applied. Have fun, STEM Warriors!
WHAT YOU NEEED
1. Plastic Bottle
2. 4 Plastic Bottle Caps (pierced in between)
3. 2 Broom Sticks
4. 1 Straw
5. 1 Popsicle Stick
6. Pair of Magnets
7. Scissors
8. Glue Gun
9. Glue Stick
WHAT YOU DO
Note: Be careful with some of the materials. Ask help from grown-ups!
1. Cut the straw into 2 1-inch pieces.
2. Use the glue gun to stick the straw in a horizontal manner on the top side of the water bottle. Stitch the other straw in the same manner 2 inches below the first straw.
3. Insert the broomsticks inside the holes of the straws. If the broomsticks are too long, cut the edges and leave around 1-2 inches.
4. Insert the broomsticks into the pierced bottle caps. You can use the glue gun to stabilize the outer ends of the bottle cap.
5. Invert the water bottle to make it look like a car, with the wheels on the surface.
6. Use the glue gun to stick 1 magnet on the rear end of the water bottle. Make sure to add lots of glue so that the magnet won’t fall.
7. Stick the second magnet to the top part of the popsicle stick using the glue gun.
8. Push and pull the car around using the popsicle magnet stick. You can create your own road too for your car. You now have your magnetic-powered car!
WHAT HAPPENED?
The magnet’s repelling force allows the toy car to move in different directions. A magnetic rule that is important to remember is, “Opposites Attract.” A north end of a magnetic will be attracted to the south of another magnetic. The north and north ends of two magnets, as well as the south and south ends of two magnets, will repel one another. Since the magnets in the toy car have the same magnetic poles, then the magnets’ repelling force allowed the car to move in a certain direction.
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