exploratorium

Exhibits

KEYWORDS

magnetic field

Black Sand

At this simple but ever-popular exhibit, black sand from nearby beaches make spiky patterns that reveal the invisible magnetic field between the poles of two giant magnets.

Where:   Ray and Dagmar Dolby Atrium
Circles of Magnetism

Electricity moving in a wire makes a circular magnetic field.

Where:   Gallery 2: Tinkering
Magnet + Electricity = Motor

All motors operate for the same basic reason: When electricity flows through a wire and a magnet is nearby, the magnet exerts a force on the wire. Without either the magnet or the electricity, there is no "push" to make the motor turn. Turning the magnet over--reversing its magnetic field--reverses the "push" and causes an opposite rotation.

Where:   This exhibit is not currently on view.
Magnetic Clouds

"Clouds" of iron particles dart and dance in a magnetic field.

Where:   Gallery 2: Tinkering
Magnetic Fluid Patterns

A magnet's force gathers and disperses a magnetic fluid in dynamic patterns.

Where:   This exhibit is not currently on view.
Strange Attractor

Magnets in the pendulum and the disks  transfer energy back and forth, making the pendulum swing in unpredictable ways.

Where:   Crossroads: Getting Started
Washers in a Wok

A magnetized mass of steel washers offers endless sculptural and experimental diversion. 

Where:   Gallery 2: Tinkering