Question

In an exhibition, a plastic car with an iron piece fixed inside
it is made to run on a wooden table by sliding a strong
magnet below it. The experiment failed when a steel table
was used instead. Explain the reason.​

Answer 1

The experiment failed when a steel table was used because -

• Steel is made out of iron which is a ferromagnetic metal and can be attracted by the magnets.

• When the bottom magnet is attached in the steel table the contact part of the table with the magnet becomes magnetised and a very less amount of magnetic attraction reaches the iron piece present in the car through that already magnetised steel table.

• This less amount of magnetic attraction becomes unable to move the car on the steel table and the experiment gets failed.