• Water
• A Bowl
• A Compass
• Two Small Pieces of Paper or Sliced Cork
• Two Needle-Magnets (refer to experiment - Make Needle-Magnets)
Did you know that the Earth acts like a giant magnet
and attracts other magnets towards its north pole? Try this
experiment with two needle-magnets to see how the Earth pulls on magnets.
Steps:
1. Float a small piece of paper in a bowl of
water and rest a needle-magnet on it. When the needle is still
mark which way it points.
2. Now do the same with the second needle-magnet. Both
needles should point the same direction, which is along a north-south
line.
How to find north: To find out which end of your
needle-magnet points north, you can either use a compass or you can
use your shadow. Go outside at midday on a sunny day. If
you are north of the equator, your shadow will point north. If
you are south of the equator, it will point south.