ABSTRACT

The purpose of my experiment was to test whether temperature changes magnetic

strength. I believe magnets will perform better under cold conditions. For my experiment I took
four magnets of various sizes and shapes and twenty jumper paper clips for each. First, I tested
how many paper clips each magnet could hold at room temperature (65 degrees Fahrenheit). This
was repeated three times. I then submerged each magnet in a bowl of ice (32 degrees Fahrenheit)
for 2 minutes, 5 minutes, and 8 minutes. Each time I measured how many paper clips clung to
the different sized magnets. This process was repeated in the same way using hot water (130
degrees Fahrenheit).
INTRODUCTION

My research question is: Are magnets more powerful under cold or warm conditions?
This problem interests me because I’ve always wondered why the same magnets are more or less
powerful in different places like the North Pole and the equator. Most scientific theories about
magnets are that magnets perform better in cold conditions. Many other facts were stated that
magnets were invented in ancient Greek by scientists named Archimedes and Magnes.

HYPOTHESIS

Magnets will be more powerful under cold conditions.

LIST OF MATERIALS

1. 4 ceramic disc magnets of various shapes and sizes

2. 80 jumbo paper clips (20 for each magnet)
3. 4 plastic bowls
4. Bowl of ice
5. Boiling water
6. Thermometer
7. Stop watch
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES

To begin my experiment I gathered 4 ceramic ferrite disc magnets of various sizes. This
is the cheapest magnet and can come in various shapes and sizes. I placed each group of 20
jumbo paper clips into four different plastic bowls. First, to get a baseline measurement I
counted how many paper clips each magnet could attract at room temperature (65 degrees). I did
this by placing the magnet in the center of the paper clips and then retrieving the magnet with
two fingers making sure I only grabbed the magnet without holding any paper clips. This
procedure was repeated three times. Next, I put each magnet in a bowl of ice (32 degrees) for 2
minutes. After 2 minutes, using the same technique, I placed the magnet in the center of the
paper clips and then retrieved the magnet. I then measured how many paper clips clung to the
magnet. This was repeated three times. This procedure was repeated after submerging the
magnet in the ice for 5 minutes and 8 minutes. Next, I did the same however the magnets were
submerged into hot water (130 degrees). Again, I tested magnet strength at 2, 5, and 8 minute
intervals and repeated the procedure three times. I calculated the average for each of these
recordings.

I tested the magnets at room temperature so I could use that as my control to compare the
results of magnet strength under variations in temperature. I tried to be consistent on how I
retrieved the paper clips out of the plastic bowls. I also measured the temperature to ensure that it
remained constant. In order to maintain the temperature of the hot water I replaced the boiling
water each time since it cooled off.
DISCUSSION: Magnetism is contagious! This is what magnetic field means. A magnetic field
is an invisible area around a magnet where the magnetic force affects other objects. The
magnetic field is what actually pulls other magnetic objects toward a magnet. This is true in my
experiment because when some paper clips attached to the magnet, other paper clips would
attach to those paper clips.

When looking at ceramic magnets I learned that they vary in strength as the temperature
changes. There are certain characteristics used when looking at magnets. One is the Curie
temperature. Curie temperature (Tcurie) is the temperature at which a magnet is demagnetized.
For ceramic magnets when the temperature increases 100 degrees centigrade the magnet
decreases in strength by 20%. This is called temperature coefficient of Br (Tcoef Br). The
definition of Br is the maximum flux the magnet is able to produce.

Magnetic flux is the measurement of the quantity of magnetism. It measures the distance
of the magnetic field where the magnet pulls in the object. Without using a meter I measured this
by counting the number of paper clips that would be attracted to the different sized magnets
under different temperature conditions.

The magnets I used are called ceramic magnets. In looking at all of my data these are my
observations. At room temperature as magnetic size increased, the magnetic strength increased.
The ¼ inch magnet attracted an average of 12 paper clips. The ½ inch magnet attracted an
average of 13 paper clips. The ¾ inch magnet attracted an average of 16 paper clips. The 1 inch
magnet attracted an average of 17 paper clips.

All of the magnets increased in power after being placed in the ice. The biggest change I
observed was with the two largest magnets (1 inch and ¾ inch) after being submerged in ice. The
¾ inch magnet’s strength changed from an average of 16 paper clips to an average of 19 after 2
minutes in ice and an average of 20 after 5 min and 8 min. The 1 inch magnet increased from an
average of 17 paper clips at room temperature to an average of 20 after 2 minutes, an average of
20 after 5 minutes, and an average of 18 at 8 minutes. The two smaller magnets did increase in
strength slightly however, the results were more variable.

The change in magnetic strength varied in the hot water compared to room temperature.
Some magnets lost strength and some magnets gained strength. While I tried to keep
temperature constant at 130 degrees by refilling the bowl each time it was difficult since the
cooling process starts as soon as the water was poured into the bowl. Magnetic power did
decrease in three out of the four magnets when comparing it at 2 minutes vs. 8 minutes.
CONCLUSION

My hypothesis was correct! The power of a magnet increased when subjected to colder
conditions. Each magnet went up at least 2 paper clips.

If I was to do my experiment again I would do a few things different. I should have kept
the water boiling (212 degrees Fahrenheit) on the stove so it would stay consistent and at the
higher temperature of boiling water. As soon I transferred the boiling water to a bowl at room
temperature it changed the condition and the temperature was reduced to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
There may have been more of a decrease in magnetic strength if the magnets were subjected to
the higher temperature. Another condition I would change is to put just enough water into the ice
so that the temperature would be more consistent throughout the bowl. I feel the temperature
reading may have been influenced by where I placed the thermometer since there were open
spaces between the ice cubes. Another area that may have impacted my results was retrieving the
magnets. While I tried to be careful when retrieving the magnets without touching the paper clips
it was difficult. I should have used nonmagnetic tweezers to lift the magnets out.

Using more than four magnets would have increased the sample size which could result
in more accurate averages. Repeating the project more times would have given me more data and
possibly more accurate results. Another idea would be to repeat the experiment using another
magnetic object such as small ball bearings and compare the results to see if the percentage of
change was similar.