Magnet-Powered Car
In this activity, you will
move a toy car around with magnetism!
Supplies Required
- Masking tape or painters tape
- Toy car
- Bar magnet
- Magnetic wand or horseshoe magnet
The Challenge
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.
Magnets have an invisible magnetic field around them that attracts other magnets and magnetic materials. One end of a magnet is the “north” end and the other end is the “south” end. Similar poles (north and north or south and south) repel each other, while poles that are different (north and south) attract each other. If you find that one end of the magnet repels something, flip it around to see if it will attract that same object. In this experiment, the magnetic force is strong enough to propel a toy car around the room.
Problem and Hypothesis
[contact-form-7 id="18628" title="STEM book form SCI 1"]Let’s Experiment and Build!
Instructions
- With an adult’s permission, use masking tape or painter’s tape to make a road on a smooth floor. Add parking lots and other highways on which to drive a toy car.
- Tape a bar magnet securely to the top of the toy car.
- Use a magnetic wand or horseshoe magnet to push and pull the car around the floor. See if you can make the car turn around, go backward, and drive along the road without touching it with your hands.
- Observations: Did you find it easier to use your magnet to push or to pull the car along the road?
Experiment, Analysis, and Conclusion
[contact-form-7 id="18626" title="STEM book form SCI 2"]Think about it and Additional Resources
Now Try This! Make several magnet-powered cars and see how they interact as they drive into and next to one another.
Share on social media: Record a video or take a picture of your activity
and post the results online using the hashtags:
#MagnetCar
#ProjectExploration
#StemAtHome
Tag a friend and challenge them to do it, too!
For more activities like this one, go to www.projectexploration.org/stemhome. If you’re interested in learning more about Project Exploration and our free events, programs, and activities, please find us on social media and be sure to follow!
Call or text us for help: 312-772-6634
In these videos, you will learn about…
- Magnetism
- the Magnetic Field