Magnets

This educational video provides a clear, visual demonstration of magnetic fields, transforming an abstract concept into a concrete observation. Through the use of bar magnets, paper, and iron filings, the narrator explains what a magnetic field is and demonstrates how to make these invisible forces visible. The video systematically tests different scenarios, showing the magnetic field of a single magnet, the repulsive force between like poles, and the attractive force between unlike poles. The key themes explored include the properties of magnets, magnetic poles (North and South), and the interaction between magnetic fields. The video specifically highlights how field lines are most concentrated at the poles and how the pattern of field lines changes depending on whether magnets are repelling or attracting one another. It introduces essential vocabulary such as "repel," "attract," "magnetic force," and "iron filings." For educators, this video is an invaluable tool for physics and general science units on forces. It serves as a perfect precursor to or substitute for a live lab activity, allowing students to see the expected results of a classic experiment. It can spark learning by prompting students to predict field patterns before they are revealed, helping them build mental models of invisible forces and understanding the fundamental rules of magnetism.

This concise science demonstration investigates the relationship between magnets and various metal objects to determine which materials possess magnetic properties. Through a clear, step-by-step experiment, the narrator tests common household items—like keys, coins, and safety pins—against a U-shaped magnet. The video explicitly tests the hypothesis that "all metals are magnetic" by showing that while all the test objects are metallic, only some interact with the magnet. The core themes explore the physical properties of matter, specifically magnetism and material composition. It introduces the fundamental scientific concept that magnetism is a property specific to certain metals (ferromagnetic materials) rather than a general property of all metals. The video concludes by identifying specific elements—iron, nickel, and cobalt—that are magnetic, contrasting them with non-magnetic metals like aluminum, copper, and silver. For educators, this video serves as an excellent hook or demonstration for units on physical science and properties of matter. It directly addresses the common student misconception that magnets stick to all metals. The clear visual evidence of the key and coin failing to stick provides a memorable "discrepant event" that sparks inquiry. It lays the groundwork for understanding material composition and classification, making it valuable for early elementary science curriculums.

This engaging physics lesson explores the fundamental principles of magnetism, moving from basic interactions to complex real-world applications. It begins with a relatable personal anecdote to introduce the strength of modern magnets before diving into core concepts like magnetic poles, attraction and repulsion, and the non-existence of magnetic monopoles. The video utilizes clear animations and diagrams to visualize invisible forces, making abstract concepts accessible to students.

This educational video explores the critical role of Earth's magnetic field in protecting our planet from harmful solar radiation and introduces the physics concept of the Right-Hand Rule. The lesson begins by visualizing the sun as a massive nuclear reactor and explains how Earth's magnetic shield deflects solar wind, creating phenomena like the Aurora Borealis while preventing the radiation damage seen on barren worlds like the Moon and Mars. The second half of the video transitions into a practical physics tutorial on electromagnetism. It breaks down how magnetic fields exert force on moving charges and teaches students how to use the Right-Hand Rule to determine the direction of that force. The presenter uses clear, step-by-step examples with on-screen graphics to demonstrate how to position fingers to represent charge, field, and force vectors. For educators, this video serves as a bridge between Earth science and physics concepts. It provides a real-world application for abstract electromagnetic principles, making it an excellent resource for high school physics units on magnetism or earth science units on planetary habitability. The visual demonstrations of 3D spatial reasoning (using the hand) are particularly helpful for students who struggle with vector directions.

This educational video provides a clear, step-by-step demonstration on how to construct a simple electromagnet using basic materials: a battery, wire with alligator clips, and a metal nail. The video uses clean, distinct 2D animations to visualize the assembly process, showing exactly how to connect the circuit and coil the wire around the nail to create a magnetic field capable of picking up paperclips. The content moves beyond simple construction by introducing the scientific method and variable testing. It explicitly asks viewers to predict the effect of adding more coils of wire to the nail. It then demonstrates the result—that increasing the number of coils increases the magnetic force, allowing the magnet to pick up more paperclips—visually reinforcing the relationship between the number of turns in a solenoid and magnetic field strength. For educators, this video serves as an excellent introduction to electricity and magnetism units. It functions well as a pre-lab primer before students build their own electromagnets, or as a virtual demonstration for classrooms lacking materials. The built-in pause points for prediction make it an interactive tool for discussing independent variables (number of coils) and dependent variables (strength of magnet/number of clips held).

This educational video provides a clear, step-by-step demonstration of the fundamental principles of magnetism, specifically focusing on how magnetic poles interact. Through a virtual laboratory setup, viewers observe a controlled experiment using two bar magnets—one suspended freely from a retort stand and another held by hand. The video systematically tests every combination of pole interactions (North-North, South-North, South-South, and North-South) to visually prove the rules of magnetic force. The core themes explored are the concepts of magnetic poles (North and South), non-contact forces, and the defining laws of magnetism: attraction and repulsion. The video explicitly introduces and reinforces scientific vocabulary such as "interact," "attract," "repel," and "poles." By isolating the variables and showing the physical movement of the hanging magnet, it makes the invisible force of magnetism observable and concrete for young learners. For educators, this video serves as an excellent introduction to a unit on forces or magnetism. It models proper scientific inquiry by asking a question, setting up an experiment, observing results, and drawing a conclusion. It is particularly useful for demonstrating an experiment that students can then replicate in the classroom using their own magnets. The clear visual evidence of repulsion (pushing away) and attraction (pulling closer) provides a perfect anchor for discussions about invisible forces that act at a distance.

Join Chelsea in the Lighthouse Lab for an engaging exploration of magnetism designed for elementary students. The video introduces the fundamental properties of magnets, starting with the variety of shapes and sizes used in science, such as horseshoe, bar, and ring magnets. Viewers learn to distinguish between magnetic materials like iron and steel versus non-magnetic materials like plastic and wood through clear demonstrations. The core of the lesson focuses on magnetic poles and interactions. Through visual experiments using color-coded bar magnets, the video clearly demonstrates the laws of attraction and repulsion: how opposite poles pull together while like poles push apart. Concepts are explained using simple, age-appropriate language that demystifies the invisible forces at work. The video concludes with a "magic trick" that applies these scientific concepts. Using ring magnets and a wooden chopstick, the host demonstrates magnetic levitation, providing a concrete and exciting example of repulsion forces overcoming gravity. This video serves as an excellent foundational resource for physical science units on forces and properties of matter.

This video provides a clear, step-by-step demonstration of how to create a temporary magnet using the "stroke method." It begins by introducing the necessary materials—a permanent bar magnet, a metal nail, and metal staples—and establishes a control by showing that the nail is initially non-magnetic. The narrator then demonstrates the specific technique required to magnetize the nail: stroking it repeatedly in a single direction with one pole of the bar magnet. The video concludes by verifying the result as the nail successfully attracts the staples. Themes explored include magnetism, magnetic poles, magnetic forces, and scientific inquiry. Implicitly, the video touches upon the concept of magnetic domains, as the stroking motion aligns the atoms within the nail to create a magnetic field. It also introduces the scientific method by establishing a baseline observation before an intervention and concluding with an open-ended question that encourages further experimentation regarding magnetic strength. For educators, this video serves as an excellent hook or procedural guide for a hands-on physical science unit. It visually reinforces the importance of following specific experimental procedures—specifically, why rubbing back and forth would not work compared to the unidirectional stroke method. The open-ended question at the end ("What could you do to increase the strength?") provides a perfect transition into student-led investigations where they can test variables such as the number of strokes or the strength of the permanent magnet used.

This engaging video from SciShow Kids introduces young learners to the fascinating world of magnets. Hosted by Jessi and her robot friend Squeaks, the lesson breaks down the fundamental concepts of magnetism, starting with the basic observation that magnets stick to certain objects without glue or tape. It explains scientific terms like "force" (push or pull) and introduces the concept of a "magnetic field"—the invisible area around a magnet where its force can be felt. The video explores the properties of magnets through clear demonstrations and an interactive guessing game. Viewers watch as Jessi tests different materials—wood, plastic, and various metals—to see which ones interact with a magnet. This experimental approach helps students understand that while magnets attract metals, they don't attract *all* metals. The video specifically identifies "iron" as the key magnetic metal found in common items like paperclips, tools, and refrigerator doors. Ideal for early elementary science curriculums, this resource transforms abstract physics concepts into tangible learning experiences. It demonstrates how to conduct simple experiments, encouraging students to make predictions (hypotheses) and test them. The content naturally leads to classroom activities involving sorting, classification, and hands-on exploration of magnetic forces, making it a perfect launchpad for STEM units on forces and motion or material properties.

In this engaging episode of SciShow Kids, host Jessi and her robot friend Squeaks introduce young learners to the fascinating world of magnetism through a "magic" levitation trick. The video uses a simple hands-on experiment involving ring magnets and a marker to demonstrate how magnets can float in mid-air, transitioning from this visual hook into a clear scientific explanation of magnetic forces. The content covers fundamental physics concepts appropriate for early elementary students, including what magnets are, how they exert non-contact forces (pushes and pulls), and the properties of magnetic poles. Through clear visual demonstrations and animations, Jessi explains the rules of attraction (opposites attract) and repulsion (like poles repel), using these principles to solve the mystery of the floating magnets. This video is an excellent classroom resource for introducing physical science units on forces and motion. It provides a ready-made experiment that teachers can replicate in class and offers vocabulary building for terms like "attract," "repel," "force," and "magnetic." The video concludes with several creative extension ideas, encouraging students to apply what they've learned to build forts, create art, or design engineering challenges using magnets.

This concise science demonstration visualizes the concept of separating mixtures based on physical properties, specifically magnetism. The video guides viewers through a clear experiment where a heterogeneous mixture is created using white sand and black iron filings, followed by the use of a magnetic wand to separate the two substances. It explicitly defines the scientific principles at play, noting that separation is possible because one component is magnetic while the other is not. Key themes include the properties of matter, the definition of mixtures, and techniques for separating substances. The video serves as a fundamental introduction to physical science concepts, demonstrating that mixtures can be physically separated without chemical reactions. It highlights the difference between magnetic materials (iron) and non-magnetic materials (sand) as the basis for the separation technique. For educators, this video provides an excellent "hook" or visual aid for units on matter, mixtures, and solutions. It is particularly useful for demonstrating a concept that might be messy or difficult to manage individually in a large classroom setting. Teachers can use this clip to model scientific observation, prompt predictions about physical properties, or introduce a hands-on lab activity where students replicate the experiment to learn about sorting materials in real-world contexts like recycling.

This straightforward science demonstration introduces students to the fundamental properties of magnetism by testing common everyday objects. Narrated with clear, paced instructions, the video defines magnetic and non-magnetic materials based on whether they are attracted to a magnet. It guides viewers through a scientific process: defining terms, showing clear examples, presenting a collection of varied items for prediction, and finally testing each item to sort them into categories.