Instructional Video

Slow Motion Science! Ferrofluid Dropping on Magnet

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Put the fun in physics with ferrofluid! Aside from making cool shapes when it interacts with a magnet, what else can we learn from ferrofluid? A video from an extensive physics playlist examines the similarities between the ferrofluid-magnet relationship, Earth's tides, and getting pulled into a black hole.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Get some ferrofluid for your lab and ask paired pupils to design a magnetism experiment around it
  • After watching the video, have the class brainstorm other magnetic relationships they could visualize using ferrofluid
Classroom Considerations
  • Learners should have an understanding of magnetic fields and gravity 
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Slow-motion camera work provides amazing views of ferrofluid approaching a magnet held at different distances below it
  • Explanations in the video are clear and scripted appropriately for beginning physics students
Cons
  • None
Common Core