7. How to Build a Simple Magnetic Accelerator?
How do roller coasters work? They work thanks to magnetism and energy conservation, so a series of electromagnets push and pull on the rollercoaster. This idea is very interesting to engineers who imagined launching objects into space using the same method. The aim of this project is to build a simple magnetic accelerator using a wooden ruler and four small magnets. You will also need tape and small steel balls (9 balls). Placing the ruler down, lay one magnet in the ruler groove using a tape to attach it. Do the same thing with 3 other magnets with the same distance between the magnets. Then place two steel balls to the right of each magnet, set a target near, and place the last ball in the groove on the far left, opposite of the target. Then let the ball go and observe what happens. Attracted by the first magnet, the ball should set a chain reaction of balls firing between the magnets until the last one hits the target thanks to the energy of conservation.And now, let’s see what else we have on our list of winning science fair projects for high school.
