Have you ever experimented with a couple of
magnets? You probably know that magnets have
a north pole and a south pole. When you bring
the north pole of one magnet towards the south
pole of another magnet, what happens? These
opposite poles are attracted to one another
and the magnets come together. What happens
when you bring the north pole of one magnet
towards the north pole of another magnet? This
time these like poles repel one another. Did
you know that this simple property of magnets
is used to propel special trains at speeds
up to 300 miles per hour? Such trains are known
as magnetic levitation trains, usually shortened
to mag lev. In this WebQuest, you'll find out
how magnetism, and mag lev trains, may help
solve some transportation problems in the 21st century.
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Your job in this WebQuest is to find out how
magnetic levitation works and use this information
to build a model of a mag lev train. You will
have to learn about permanent magnets and electromagnets,
about superconductors, and about the different
kinds of magnetic levitation. You will have
to decide which type of magnetic levitation
you will be able to work with, and identify
the materials you will need to build a model
of a mag lev train. You will have to design
the model mag lev train, list the materials
needed, and collect those materials. Finally,
you will build your model, test it, and refine
it as needed.
Once you have refined the design of your mag
lev train and retested, you will report your
findings to the class. Your report could be
a written one with illustrations, an oral one
with photographs or transparencies for the
overhead projector, or you could videotape
a test of your model and show it to your classmates.
If you prefer, you could bring your model to
school and demonstrate it for your classmates.
Whichever type of report you choose to do,
be sure to identify which type of magnetic
levitation you decided to use, and why. Reports
also should include a description of the steps
you took to design, build, and test your model.
Look at the web sites given here to find the
information that will enable you to build a
model of a magnetic levitation train and test
it.
- How
Electromagnets Work
At this site you can find out the basic idea
behind electromagnets, and the differences
between electromagnets and permanent magnets.
This site shows you how to build electromagnets.
- A
New Approach for Magnetically Levitating
Trains and Rockets
This is a site that describes using special
arrays of permanent magnets for levitation.
It includes directions for building a mag
lev track and vehicle.
- Simple
Maglev Train
Go to this site for some directions for making
your own mag lev train using permanent magnets.
1 class period for research; 1 class period
to make presentations or reports; time at home
to build and test model trains.
After you have completed your research on
the Internet, decide on the type of mag lev
train model you want to build. Design your
model, list the materials needed, then collect
the materials and build your train. In order
to test your model, you will need to build
a track as well. Which type of magnets did
you decide to use for your model? What are
your reasons for this choice? How easy is it
to model a magnetic levitation train? Remember,
a model doesn't always work exactly the same
way as the real thing, so don't be discouraged
if your train doesn't stay on the track. Also,
be prepared to provide the initial energy needed
to get your model moving down the track. What
energy is used to start a real magnetic levitation
train moving from a complete stop? Once you
have tested your model, prepare your report.
The types of reports listed above are not the
only ones you can use; be creative!
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In the process of completing this WebQuest,
you've become informed about magnetism, the
differences between permanent magnets and electromagnets,
and how magnetic levitation trains work in
the real world. You have developed critical
thinking and problem-solving skills as you
designed, built, and tested a mag lev train
of your own. Finally, you have explored different
ways of reporting your experimental results,
and prepared a report on your findings. How
did your design work? If you designed a mag
lev model again, what would you do differently?
How did your model mag lev train compare to
a real mag lev train?
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