1) The document describes an experiment to investigate how the weight of a magnet changes when another magnet is brought near it. 2) When the magnets attract each other, the weight of the lower magnet decreases, and when they repel each other, the weight increases. 3) The Belgian and Italian schools that performed the experiment found similar results, though they used different distances.

1. Magnet On A Balance
Mars Here We Come
• Sofia Panzavolta
• Greta Saccenti
• Bente Dossche
• Lore Claerhout
• Sara Deschepper

2. De Bron, Tielt
Belgium
• Sara Deschepper
• Lore Claerhout
• Bente Dossche
Liceo linguistico
“Ilaria Alpi”
• Sofia Panzavolta
• Greta Saccenti

3. Materials:
• Kitchen balance
• 2 magnets
• Ruler

4. • Put one magnet on the kitchen balance to weigh.
• Approach with another magnet and look how the weight changes.
• Repeat this while holding the magnet in the other direction.
Operation of the experiment

5. Conclusion Belgium
• If the magnets attract each other, the weight of the magnet below will become less
big
• If the magnets repulse each other, the weight of the magnet below will rise

6. Conclusion:
The conclusion is that if the magnet is
attracted upwards the weight reduces on
the scale, while if its attracted downward
the weight increase so attraction and
repulsion give opposite results.

7. Comparison:
The results between the Belgian and
Italian schools are similar the only
difference is that we used different
distances so we don’t have the same
numbers.

8. Italian’s results 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
20 30 40
mass (g)
distance (mm)
repulsion
repulsion
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
20 30 40
mass (g)
distance (mm) attraction
attraction

9. Belgian’s
results

10. Reflection
Explanation :
Attraction: The weight becomes less big because there’s magnetic force who attracts
the magnet
Repulsion: The weight becomes bigger because the magnetic force rebounds the
magnet.
Is the change in weight the same either by attraction or repulsion?
No, they are opposits.

11. How to
transform a
steel/ iron
object into a
magnet!
Objects: a 4.5 volt battery, an iron
or steel nail (5-10 cm), a piece of
electrical wire (about 50 cm),
paper clips, a pin, a compass
● the nail maintains a magnetization
highlighted by the movement of the
compass needle;
● to visualize in another way the
magnetization of the nail by the
electric current to bring the tip of the
nail close to the pins, and to observe
the attraction exerted by the nail on
the pins;
● detach the connection with the
battery: the pins detach immediately
from the end of the nail, the
magnetization of the nail decreases
clearly
● Activity:
• bring the nail closer to the
pins and verify that it does
not exert any attraction;
• wrap the nail with a tight
spiral of electric wire (at
least twenty coils) and
connect the two free ends of
the wire to the two tabs of
the battery;
• approaching the tip of the
nail to the compass: the
compass needle responds in
a clear way to the presence
of the magnetized nail;