Masks are required for all visitors 2+. Vaccines recommended. Plan your visit
Electricity & Magnetism
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
Circuit Workbench
Try building these circuits found in everyday objects.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Liquid Litmus
See the chemical reactions taking place in an electrolytic cell, as electricity flowing through a tank of salt water and pH-indicating dye creates zones of acidic (yellow) and basic (blue) solutions.
Where: Crossroads: Getting Started
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.
Pedal Generator
Power these appliances with your feet!
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: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Uroborus: A Snake Chasing Its Tail
In this device, a motor turns a wooden snake tail. When the tail pushes the snake head, it changes the connections and the motor changes direction.
Where: Gallery 2: Tinkering
Washers in a Wok
A magnetized mass of steel washers offers endless sculptural and experimental diversion.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
