? Science with Sarah: Floating Magnetic Ghosts ??

? Watch the video of Sarah’s school science experiment here!

Hello parents, teachers and students! Are you looking for something fun and Halloween-y to do at home that has a little bit of science behind it? Try to make this floating magnetic ghosts with Meteorologist Sarah Spivey and her awesome assistant, David Sears!

Be sure to check out GMSA@9 on Wednesdays when Meteorologist Sarah Spivey does the demonstrations and explains the science behind it.

Science with Sarah: Invite KSAT to your school for live science experiments. (KSAT)

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Ceramic craft magnets

Clear fishing wire

Jumbo craft sticks

Strong tape (electrical tape works great!)

White tissue paper

DO THE EXPERIMENT

STEP 1: Make a magnetic “wand” to eventually control your ghost by taping two or three ceramic magnets between two jumbo craft sticks. It should look like this ?

STEP 2: Make a loop with some clear fishing wire and tape it to a table to anchor it down. Then, attach a paper clip to the end. It should look like this ?

STEP 3: Take your magnetic wand and practice by pulling the paper clip up with the magnets and making it “float” in the air by itself

STEP 4: Take a small sheet of tissue paper — you can draw eyes and a mouth on it if you want — and place it over the paper clip. Now, with your magnetic wand, balance the tissue paper on the paper clip and try to make your ghost float! It should look like this ?

HOW IT WORKS

This is a great example of the forces of magnetism and gravity. As long as you can make the ghost float, the force of the magnets is greater than the force of gravity. If your ghost and/or paper clip falls, gravity wins out. Have fun!!