🧪 Science with Sarah: Magic Magnetics! 🧲

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👉 Watch the video of Sarah’s science experiment at Northwest Crossing Elementary!

Hello parents, teachers and students! Try to make this floating magnetic ghosts with Meteorologist Sarah Spivey and her awesome assistant, David Sears!

Be sure to check out GMSA@9 on Wednesdays when Meteorologist Sarah Spivey does the demonstrations and explains the science behind it.

Science with Sarah: Invite KSAT to your school for live science experiments. (KSAT)

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Here are the materials you’ll need for your experiment (Copyright KSAT 2022 – All rights reserved)
  • Paper clips
  • Jumbo craft sticks
  • Strong tape (electrical tape works great!)
  • White tissue paper

DO THE EXPERIMENT

  • STEP 1: Make a magnetic “wand” to eventually control your ghost by taping two or three ceramic magnets between two jumbo craft sticks. It should look like this ⬇️
Build a magnetic wand to control your ghost with jumbo craft sticks, tape, and ceramic craft magnets (Copyright KSAT 2022 – All rights reserved)
  • STEP 2: Make a loop with some clear fishing wire and tape it to a table to anchor it down. Then, attach a paper clip to the end. It should look like this ⬇️
Here’s a look at what your “ghostly” set-up should look like! (Copyright KSAT 2022 – All rights reserved)
  • STEP 3: Take your magnetic wand and practice by pulling the paper clip up with the magnets and making it “float” in the air by itself
  • STEP 4: Take a small sheet of tissue paper — you can draw eyes and a mouth on it if you want — and place it over the paper clip. Now, with your magnetic wand, balance the tissue paper on the paper clip and try to make your ghost float! It should look like this ⬇️
You can make a spoooooky ghost with magnets, fishing wire, tissue paper, and a paper clip! (Copyright KSAT 2022 – All rights reserved)

HOW IT WORKS

This is a great example of the forces of magnetism and gravity. As long as you can make the ghost float, the force of the magnets is greater than the force of gravity. If your ghost and/or paper clip falls, gravity wins out. Have fun!!

SCIENCE WITH SARAH

SCIENCE WITH SARAH

If you’d like Sarah and David to come to your school and conduct a science experiment live on KSAT, fill out this form. “Winners” are selected at random.