Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Summer Fun 2014 - Magnet Powered Car



Tape a refrigerator magnet to the back of a toy car.  Hold another magnet up to the first, so that like poles are facing each other, and allow the repelling force to push the car along, without ever touching it yourself.


This simple, but entertaining, and easily expandable project, along with 49 other intriguing ideas, with short blurbs explaining the science behind them, can be found in Bobby Mercer's Junk Drawer Physics:  50 Awesome Experiments That Don't Cost a Thing...


...which, as it happens, can be downloaded for free as part of Amazon's Kindle Unlimited Program - a program we are happily trying out for free for 30 days.  I'm not sure yet, if I like the subscription program, but I can easily recommend Mercer's book.  It's well organized, full of interesting projects, many of which we haven't seen before, and contains just enough science to pique our curiosity (and no, I'm not on Mercer's payroll).

6 comments:

Phyllis said...

Sounds very interesting. I will have to check it out.

Natalie PlanetSmarty said...

So clever! By the way, I think that for your big family Kindle Unlimited makes a lot of sense (and I am not on their payroll either :))

MaryAnne said...

So clever!

I am curious to hear what you think of Kindle Unlimited; we are considering it but have not signed up for the free trial yet.

claireshomeeducation said...

Fun and clever. I shall be checking out the book recommendation - it sounds just up my street!

Bethany said...

The book looks so neat! What a great resource.

Ticia said...

Ha ha ha ha ha ha, that is a fun idea. I especially had to laugh at the letter magnets being used, I don't know why that in particular amused me.