Method:
- First we placed the two clamp stands in line with the balance, so that it’s easier to read the figures more accurately, as we placed the ruler onto one of the clamps.
- We sellotaped one of the magnets (facing the North Pole upwards) onto the corner of the balance which is closest to the clamps.
- Then, we placed the other magnet onto the other clamp, but facing the North Pole downwards. Here, we had to place the clamp down until the magnet reached 9.8cm apart from the other magnet.
- We now, started the experiment by switching on the balance and reading the first reading, giving us the force at 9.8 cm.
- Now, all we had to do was to lower the clamp with the magnet, every 5cm and take the reading of the force on the balance.
- We repeated this until more or less 5 cm apart between the two magnets.
Diagram:
Table of Results:
Effect of the force of two repelling magnets as the distance increases
Conclusion: Concluding from our results, as the distance between the two repelling magnets increased; there was less force (g) between them due to the weakening between the magnetic force. Comparing the results of the distances between 1.7cm and 9.1, there is a visible force decrease. At 1.7cm apart, the force was 29.14, whilst as the magnets were further apart at 9.1cm the magnetic force was only 0.10g. On the graph, you can see that at the first centimetres apart until more or less 3.4cm, there is a big drop due to the fact that the force is decreasing. After 3.4cm the drop isn’t as big, and so there is a curve until it levels up, as there isn’t a too much of a difference between the forces. I now can say that the groups’ hypothesis was correct, because our results prove that as the distance between the two repelling magnets increased; there was less force (g) between them due to the weakening of the magnetic force.
Evaluation: During our first attempts in doing this experiment we failed by not knowing how to actually prepare our materials to start the experiment. This experiment might sound very easy at first, but without thinking about how to prepare the experiment there is a big chance of failing it. As we did the mistake of not thinking a lot about what we were going to do, before we had started the experiment, we wasted a lot of time. We started off by placing the clamp stands in the wrong place along with the magnets placement on top of the balance, in the wrong place as well. With the magnet right in the middle of the balances top, and with the clamp far away from it, the readings of our first attempt to do the experiment failed completely, because the readings wouldn’t be as accurate. However, as we finally started working on our real experiment, we worked quite well, because we had already figured out about what to do and what not to do. So, we placed the materials in the right place and then all we had to do was start off the experiment. In the end, our experiment did turn out ok, as we got some good results, which showed us what we wanted at first.
