Curious Magnetics

Today Gemma and I did the lab "Curious Magnetics." We were able to complete Experiment 1 and Experiment 2. For Experiment 1 we had "to build your own Gauss Rifle using the energy of magnets and the transfer of kinetic energy from supplied steel balls." The group that had done this lab before us had built the Gauss Rifle and hadn't taken it apart, so we didn't have to rebuild it. All we had to do was test it out. It worked really well.
For Experiment 2 we had "to construct a pendulum engine that uses the heat of a flame, the energy of a magnet, and the force of gravity to create its motion." This experiment was a little more challenging. We had to be careful where we placed the wire, the magnet and the candle. When we lit the candle the wire only moved slightly.
If I could do this lab again I would try placing the wire, the magnet and the candle in different places to try to make the wire move more.

Motors: A Magnetic Movement

Today Kimmy, Jackie, and I did the lab "Motors." We used "an electric current running through a solenoid to suck a needle into a straw." At first, my group and I had trouble understanding what we were supposed to do. But when we got help from a teacher we better understood. We were able to successfully constructed a solenoid that sucked a needle into a straw.