Invisible Forces

This activity from Design Squad’s Mission: Solar System uses magnets as actuators to change the paths of moving metal objects. Students try to hit a target, adjusting their strategy with each attempt. This hands-on experimentation gives them an intuitive feel for the way a magnet’s force varies with distance. Although the main audience is afterschool programs, this activity works in classrooms too; the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has vetted this activity.

Developed in 2013 by Design Squad Global and WGBH through a partnership with NASA.

Relevance to the International Space Station:

In the Controlled Dynamics Locker on the ISS, electromagnets are used as sensors (to detect changes in a metal box’s position) and as actuators (to cause the box to move).