INTECH Science Centre and Planetarium

Chaotic Motion

This exhibit has a pendulum with a magnet as the weight. There are other magnets which can be moved around under the pendulum. As the pendulum swings the magnets repel each other which affects the motion of the pendulum.

Activity.... Do – Think - Learn

The movement of the pendulum is affected by gravity and magnetism.

How will the magnets affect the way the pendulum swings?
Move the magnets to the edge and start the pendulum swinging.
What pattern does it make?
Move one magnet towards the centre.
How does this affect the pattern?
Change the positions of the other magnets so that the magnetic forces are altered.
What happens?

The Science Bit

Magnets can attract or repel other magnets or magnetic metals without even touching them. This is known as a magnetic force, and these forces can still be exerted even when air, empty space or non-magnetic materials separate the two. Two magnets can also exert force on each other when placed at an angle to each other.

The space around a magnet is called a magnetic field.

This exhibition shows how the magnets apply a force onto the pendulum, and due to there being lots of magnets the pendulum swings in different directions. By moving the magnets you are changing the magnetic field so the pendulum changes its movement.

This movement is different every time and known as ‘chaotic’ due to never being able to recreate the pattern that the pendulum takes.

Curriculum Links

Sorting and using materials

That some materials are magnetic but most are not
To think about which objects they expect to be attracted to a magnet

Pushes and pulls

That there are many sorts of movement which can be described in many ways
To observe and describe different ways of moving
That pushing or pulling can make objects start or stop moving
To identify similarities and differences between the movement of different objects
To make suggestions about how objects can be made to move and to find out whether they are right
That is not only ourselves that make things move
To ask questions about what is causing movement

forces and movement

That pushes and pulls can make things speed up or slow down or change direction
To suggest questions about ways in which different objects can move
Pushes and pulls are examples of forces

Magnets and springs

That there are forces between magnets and that magnets can attract and repel each other
To make and record careful observations of magnets
To make generalisations about what happens when magnets are put together
To investigate an aspect of the behaviour of magnets
To plan a fair test and decide what to measure and what equipment to use
To make and record measurements
To draw conclusions

forces in action

That several forces may act on one object

Last Modified: 28/07/2011