Magnetism

Experiment kits to introduce magnetism in primary schools!

The phenomenon of "magnetism" is based on very complex physical relationships that are difficult to visualise using simplified models. This is particularly true of the magnetic poles and the fact that they always occur in pairs. Nevertheless, magnets are simply fascinating and have an almost magical effect.

You can easily explore the world of physics with the experiment kits. Depending on the equipment, the kit is also suitable for primary school children. Find out which materials respond to a magnet. Glass, wood, metal or plastic? Are all magnets the same, or are there differences between them? These and other questions are particularly suitable for primary schools, as they are not yet very complicated and contribute to a basic understanding of physics. Afterwards you can continue with somewhat more complicated experiments. Visualising magnetic fields using metal shavings under a glass plate or demonstrating the earth's magnetism using a compass are common and impressive experiments.

Using magnetism to bring fascinating physics into the classroom

Experiments with magnets are easy to set up. Magnets work anywhere, anytime, do not require batteries and do not lose their strength, over time. Here are some simple experiments to get children excited about magnets.

Strong magnets:

To demonstrate the strength of a magnet, all you need is a magnet, a surface for the magnet to stick to and lots of different pieces of paper.

If you hang the magnet on the surface and stick a piece of paper underneath it, the magnet will become less magnetic. If you put more and more pieces of paper under the magnet, it will eventually stop sticking because the distance from the surface is too great. You can also use this experiment to compare magnets, as they may have different strengths.

Have fun experimenting with magnets:

In primary school, games with magnets are a good place to start. The best-known magnet game is probably the fishing game.

All you need are small magnetic fishing rods (or magnets with a string attached), paper clips and fish made out of paper.

You can involve the children in preparing the game and ask them how the game is set up once they have understood how the magnet works. Support them if necessary, for example if they have problems attaching different materials to each other. This way, the children have already learnt a lot about the magnet while setting up the game.

Of course, you can find more interesting experiments in the instructions. Magnetic experiments turn science lessons into magic lessons without any cheap tricks! Children particularly enjoy researching and experimenting, as they can bring theory to life.

Magnetism experiments to touch and explore

Science is very diverse. This is reflected in the different ways in which they can be discovered in our surroundings and environment. The variety of experiments is particularly evident in physics. Not only does physics itself consist of many smaller phenomena, all of which are fascinating, but the individual phenomena can also be encountered in many different ways. The Science Workshop offers many interesting interactive products for young researchers to develop their skills and curiosity.

Magnets and magnetism are perfect for demonstrating this diversity. Many people think of the magnet on the fridge. Of course, magnetism is very obvious there. But it is much more subtle when it comes to toys or technical devices. Of course, a complex topic like magnets is sometimes still too complicated for pupils in primary and lower secondary school, but children can grasp the basic concepts of magnets and their magnetic field at a very early age - after all, they are explorers by nature. The MINTUS range offers many more exciting experiment kits for discovery and research.