Magnets: The Magic Dollar

February 15, 2012 By 10 Comments

Do you think dollar bills are magnetic?  Here’s a quick little experiment to do while studying magnets or money!

You’ll need a dollar bill and a magnet.

Fold a dollar bill in half and set it on the table like in the picture above.  We ended up taping the bill to the table because it kept falling over.

Next, put your magnet very close to the ink at the top of the bill.

Slowly pull the bill up!

Why was the dollar bill attracted to the magnet?   Challenge your kids to figure it out! (Hint: think criminal activity)

The reason this experiment works is because the ink used in printing bills is magnetic!   The special ink is one of the measures used to deter counterfeit printing.

Stop by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing website for all sorts of interesting money facts and photos.  And, if you live near Ft. Worth, TX or Washington D.C., dont’ miss the opportunity to take an amazing FREE tour of the printing facilities.

 

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Filed Under: Classroom Activities, Elementary Activities, Home school, Middle School, Science, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
Heather About Heather

Heather spends time homeschooling, raising 3 great kids, & traveling with her family. She loves folding laundry but hates putting it away. She shares a love of Disney World with her Hubby, she's a cruise fanatic, & bird-watching hobbyist. You can follow her on Twitter as @CrazyZeus1.

Comments

  1. Brenna says:
    February 15, 2012 at 4:40 am

    oh wow! I’m so doing this experiment next week during part of our discussions about presidents for President’s Day. Love your science experiments.

    Reply
  2. Deceptively Educational says:
    February 15, 2012 at 8:08 am

    This is SO cool! I had no idea. I can’t wait to see my son’s jaw drop when we try this!! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Esther says:
    February 15, 2012 at 8:47 am

    I never knew it! Thanks for the idea! Pinning it!

    Reply
  4. Judy @ Contented at Home says:
    February 16, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    I had no idea! I’m sure my kids will love this!

    Reply
  5. Heather HappyCampers says:
    February 21, 2012 at 8:20 am

    Isn’t it fun to discover something we’ve never known before? How many times have you held a dollar bill in your hand, and the whole time that little bit of magic was in your fingers :)

    Reply

Trackbacks

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    February 23, 2012 at 5:46 pm

    [...] saw this experiment on another blog. Click here to see it. During President’s week in the preschool classroom, we had to try this experiment, [...]

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    February 24, 2012 at 9:36 am

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    March 25, 2012 at 9:01 am

    [...] Momma at the Kids Activities Blog combines learning about money with science in this post. Giving your kids a very cool experiment to do with money is bound to get them interested in the [...]

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