Want to create a one-of-a-kind painting for Mother’s Day without even lifting a paintbrush? Try the activity below to learn about magnets while creating a masterpiece that Mom is sure to love. Don’t forget to tell her about the science behind your artwork!
Materials: white paper, an aluminum cookie sheet or a heavy piece of cardboard, a metal washer, tempera paints, a strong magnet, blocks of wood or books, string.
To Do:
Place the cookie sheet or the piece of cardboard across two stacks of books or wooden blocks.
Tape a piece of paper to the top of the cookie sheet.
Place several drops of paint at various places on the paper.
Place the washer on the paper.
Hold a magnet under the cookie sheet and use it to move the washer through the paint.
Notice how the washer responds to the “pull” of the magnet.
Keep using the washer to move the magnet around the paper until you are satisfied with your painting.
Now Try This:
Tie a piece of thread or string to the washer before you drop it in the paint. How does this change your design? Gather some other materials from around your house, such as paper clips, that you think might be attracted to a magnet. Be sure to ask an adult for permission before you drop the items into the paint.
Rather than placing the paint on the paper, dip the objects in the paint and then move them across the paper using the magnet. Do you get a different effect? Do you think your design might look different if you used other types of paints, like watercolors or finger paints? Try it and find out.
What’s Going On?
We can’t actually see magnetism, but we can observe what happens to certain objects when we put them near a magnet. All magnets produce something called a magnetic field. The magnetic field can cause some objects, such as metal washers, to move even though they are not directly touching the magnet. This magnetic attraction happens at a distance, getting stronger as the magnet and the magnetic object get closer to one another. Your washer moves along the paper because the magnetic field is strong enough to travel through the cookie sheet and the paper.
Did you notice that any of the items you selected for your painting were not attracted to the magnet? Only items that contain iron, nickel, or cobalt will be attracted to a magnet. Most magnetic items, such as paper clips, washers, and nuts are made of steel. Steel is a type of alloy (a metallic compound) made from carbon and iron. Why do you think we used an aluminum cookie tray? What would happen if we used a tray made of steel?
Debbie De Roma is the education manager at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.
