Eddy current tubes are made of copper and aluminum and so in terms of the beauty of materials and language place us on the Period Table. The idea is to show the child the effect of a magnetic field moving through a nonmagnetic conductor. You don't have to explain it, you just have to show it.
It is the concrete basis of a subsequent explanation and a prime example of physics demonstrations unnecessarily withheld from primary students.
More than that, it is a fascinating impressionistic lesson.
An eddy current tube is also an excellent manual dexterity exercise. First, hold it and sight down it so you can see the magnet fall. Next manage to catch the magnet at the bottom end, something the induced magnetic eddy fields make possible because they counteract gravity. This provides the fascination and gives the young child the time to move her hand. Another game is to hold the tube at an angle tilting it back and forth to prevent the magnet from falling out, kind of like a yo-yo.
Finally, a large copper tube presents a recurring and very satisfying Practical Life metal polishing exercise.
It is the concrete basis of a subsequent explanation and a prime example of physics demonstrations unnecessarily withheld from primary students.
More than that, it is a fascinating impressionistic lesson.
An eddy current tube is also an excellent manual dexterity exercise. First, hold it and sight down it so you can see the magnet fall. Next manage to catch the magnet at the bottom end, something the induced magnetic eddy fields make possible because they counteract gravity. This provides the fascination and gives the young child the time to move her hand. Another game is to hold the tube at an angle tilting it back and forth to prevent the magnet from falling out, kind of like a yo-yo.
Finally, a large copper tube presents a recurring and very satisfying Practical Life metal polishing exercise.
