Supermagnets: Exploring the Properties and Uses of Rare Earth Magnets

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). In recent years, the development of new magnetic materials has shown extraordinary advances. The remarkable strength of the latest generation of ‘rare earth magnets’, or ‘supermagnets’, is finding a wide range of applications – from electronic goods, to fasteners in clothing and jewellery, to heavy-duty industrial clamps. Students are fascinated by the behaviour of supermagnets, and these intriguing materials can be used to complement standard practical work on magnetism and for open-ended investigations.

The Supermagnets booklet contains an illustrated overview of the topic with suggestions for teachers on how to introduce the ideas in the classroom, plus student activity sheets and notes for teachers and technicians.

The downloadable resources include:
• Student activities: zip files containing the activity sheets in PDF and editable Word formats.
• PowerPoint presentations: these contain a complete set of the images used in the booklet and activity sheets.

The ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ publications are supported by low-cost practical resources available from Mindsets:
• SEP publications and resources from Mindsets
• Practical resources for Supermagnets

• URL: http://stem.org.uk/rx4dw