The best examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments you can actually run

When teachers ask for an example of magnetic attraction: distance experiments, they usually mean something that works reliably on a desk with minimal equipment. The goal is to watch how the pull between magnets weakens as the gap between them increases, and to turn that into measurable data.

A classic setup uses two bar magnets, a ruler, and a smooth tabletop. Place one magnet at the zero mark on the ruler. Slide the second magnet toward it from the other end. Note the distance at which the moving magnet suddenly “jumps” and snaps to the fixed one. That “jump distance” is your working measure of magnetic attraction for that trial. Repeat with different orientations (north–south facing each other vs. north–north repelling) and record how the attraction distance changes.

Another one of the best examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments uses a stack of paper or index cards between two magnets. Place a magnet under the table, another directly above it, and slide cards between them one at a time. Count how many cards you can insert before the top magnet is no longer held in place. Thicker stacks mean more distance, and the point where the magnet finally falls gives you a very tangible sense that magnetic force is not infinite.

These simple classroom examples include:

• Bar magnets on a ruler, measuring “jump distance”
• Magnets gripping through layers of paper, cardboard, or plastic
• Fridge magnets holding different thicknesses of paper on a metal surface

None of these require advanced math, but they set the stage for understanding how magnetic forces weaken with distance, a concept that shows up everywhere from electric motors to MRI scanners.

Real examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments with household items

You don’t need lab-grade magnets to gather meaningful data. Some of the most convincing examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments come straight from kitchen drawers and office supplies.

Start with a fridge magnet and a stack of sticky notes. Put one note on the fridge, place the magnet on it, and see if it holds. Add notes one by one until the magnet slides down or falls off. Measure the total thickness with a ruler or caliper if you have one. This gives you a real-world distance at which the magnetic attraction is just barely strong enough to overcome gravity and friction.

You can repeat the same idea with:

• Different brands or sizes of fridge magnets
• A heavy postcard vs. a thin receipt
• A lightweight magnet vs. a thicker, stronger one

Each combination gives another example of how distance and magnet strength interact. You’ll notice that a stronger magnet can hold paper through a larger distance, but even strong magnets reach a limit.

Another accessible setup uses steel paperclips. Place a bar magnet on the table and slide a paperclip toward it. Mark the distance where the paperclip suddenly races toward the magnet. Now add a thin spacer between the magnet and the table: a plastic lid, a wooden ruler, or a stack of index cards. Repeat the test and record how the attraction distance shrinks as you add more layers. This kind of experiment turns vague intuition into clear, repeatable observations.

For students who want to connect these real examples to more formal physics, resources like the U.S. Department of Energy’s education pages on magnets and electromagnets provide approachable background on how magnetic fields work and where they’re used in technology: https://www.energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-sources/electricity/magnets-and-electromagnets

Lab-style examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments

In a more formal lab environment, you can run examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments with better control over variables. The physics doesn’t change, but the measurements get sharper.

One common setup uses a digital scale and a stand:

• Place a strong neodymium magnet on the scale and zero it.
• Mount a small steel plate or another magnet directly above it on a vertical stand.
• Slowly raise or lower the upper piece in known increments, such as 0.1 inch or 0.25 inch.
• At each distance, record the change in reading on the scale. That change represents the vertical component of the magnetic force between the two objects.

If you plot force versus distance, you’ll see that the force falls off very quickly. It does not drop in a straight line. This kind of curve helps students see why, in physics, fields from point-like magnetic sources are often modeled with inverse power laws (for example, falling off roughly with the cube of distance in certain arrangements).

Another lab-style example uses a track or air table to reduce friction. Place a cart with a steel plate or small magnet on a low-friction track. Fix a magnet at one end of the track. Start the cart at various distances and see at which starting points it is pulled in versus left almost unaffected. While more advanced, this setup mimics real engineering problems, like how far magnetic braking systems can influence moving parts.

If you want to connect these experiments to the underlying theory, introductory physics materials from universities, such as MIT’s OpenCourseWare on electricity and magnetism, explain the math behind magnetic fields and forces in more detail: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/8-02sc-physics-ii-electricity-and-magnetism-fall-2012/

Ring magnets and track: a visual example of magnetic distance effects

Ring magnets on a vertical rod give one of the best examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments for visual learners. Slide several ring magnets onto a nonmagnetic rod (plastic or wood) with like poles facing each other so they repel. Now gently push the upper magnet down and then release it. As it bounces, you can see how the spacing between magnets changes the strength of the repulsive force.

To focus on attraction instead of repulsion, flip one magnet so that opposite poles face. Start with the magnets close together and slowly move the upper one upward. At some distance, you’ll feel the pull weaken and eventually fade into the background compared to gravity and friction. Mark those positions on the rod and measure the distances. Students can feel the gradient of force in their hands, which is often more intuitive than numbers alone.

This same idea underlies magnetic suspension and magnetic bearings, which are active research areas in engineering. While your classroom version is low-tech, it echoes real-world work on contactless support systems. Organizations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) publish research on advanced magnetic materials and applications that build on these same basic principles: https://www.nist.gov/topics/magnetics

Examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments in modern tech

It’s easy for students to treat magnets as toy-like objects that only matter in the classroom. The reality is that modern technology quietly runs on the same physics you see in these distance experiments.

A familiar real example of magnetic attraction: distance experiments in action is the electric motor in a fan or a cordless drill. Inside the motor, magnets and current-carrying coils interact at tiny distances. The gap between the rotating part (the rotor) and the stationary part (the stator) is carefully engineered. If that air gap grows even a little, the magnetic attraction and torque drop sharply, and the motor loses efficiency.

Hard drives and older credit card readers provide another real example. The magnetic read/write heads must hover extremely close to the spinning disk or strip without touching. Engineers design that distance so the magnetic field is strong enough to read tiny regions of magnetized material, yet not so close that physical contact destroys the surface. The tradeoff between distance and magnetic force is the same one you see when a fridge magnet finally stops holding that last extra sheet of paper.

MRI scanners, widely used in hospitals, rely on enormous magnetic fields. While the focus there is more on field strength than attraction between objects, the same distance rules apply. The field is strongest in the center of the scanner and falls off with distance. That’s part of why there are strict safety zones around MRI rooms. Even at a few feet away, the pull on ferromagnetic objects can be surprisingly strong. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) both publish safety guidance and technical overviews of MRI systems that tie directly back to magnetic field strength and distance: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-imaging/magnetic-resonance-imaging-mri

These real-world cases are not just trivia. They show that the best examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments are not confined to school labs; they’re built into the design rules of motors, sensors, storage devices, and medical imaging.

How to record and analyze data from distance experiments

Running examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments is one thing; turning them into solid science is another. The difference is in how you record and analyze your data.

Start by choosing a single independent variable: the distance between magnets or between a magnet and a piece of steel. Measure that distance in consistent units, such as inches or centimeters. Then choose a dependent variable: jump distance, number of paper layers, scale reading (force), or whether the magnet can or cannot hold a given object.

Create a table with columns for:

• Distance or spacer thickness
• Observed effect (for example, “magnet holds 5 cards, fails at 6”)
• Trial number
• Notes on orientation (north–south vs. north–north)

Run multiple trials at each distance and average your results. Even with simple setups, you’ll see scatter in the data because of small differences in friction, alignment, and magnet strength. That’s normal. The trend is what matters: as distance increases, attraction decreases, often faster than students expect.

If you have access to a spreadsheet, plot your data. A graph of distance on the horizontal axis and force or holding ability on the vertical axis turns a pile of numbers into a visible pattern. Students quickly see that the relationship is not linear. This opens the door to discussing why magnetic fields are modeled with inverse power laws and how that compares to gravity and electric forces.

For teachers and students looking for deeper background on experimental methods and error analysis in physics, university physics departments like Harvard’s often publish lab manuals and teaching resources that are freely available online: https://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/lectures.html

Safety and magnet strength: modern considerations

As you explore more powerful examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments, magnet safety matters. Neodymium magnets, which are now easy to buy online, are far stronger than the ceramic bar magnets that used to dominate classrooms. That extra strength makes distance effects easier to measure, but it also increases the risk of pinched fingers or damaged electronics.

Keep strong magnets away from:

• Phones, credit cards, and older hard drives
• Pacemakers and implanted medical devices
• Small children and pets (swallowed magnets are a medical emergency)

Current U.S. consumer safety guidance, including actions by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), reflects a growing awareness of magnet-related injuries, especially from small, strong magnet sets. When planning distance experiments, choose magnets that are strong enough to show clear effects but not so strong that they become hazardous if mishandled.

The broader trend from 2024–2025 in both education and industry is that magnets are getting stronger and smaller, which makes understanding distance effects more important than ever. Whether you’re designing a compact sensor, analyzing an electric vehicle motor, or just trying to keep a lab safe, the same core lesson holds: small changes in distance can mean big changes in magnetic attraction.

FAQ: examples of magnetic attraction and distance

What are simple examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments for kids?
Easy examples include fridge magnets holding different numbers of papers, bar magnets pulling paperclips from various distances, and magnets attracting through layers of cardboard. These setups are quick, visual, and rely on everyday objects.

Can you give an example of measuring magnetic attraction with a scale?
Yes. Place a magnet on a digital kitchen scale and zero it. Suspend a steel object or another magnet above it at different distances. The change in the scale reading at each distance is a measure of the vertical magnetic force.

How does magnetic attraction change as distance increases?
In all realistic examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments, the force drops off rapidly as you increase the gap. It does not fall in a straight line; instead, it decreases much faster than most people expect, which is why even a small extra spacer can make a magnet suddenly “stop working.”

What are some real examples of magnetic attraction and distance in technology?
Electric motors, magnetic hard drives, magnetic sensors, and MRI machines all rely on carefully controlled distances between magnets and magnetic materials. If those distances change, performance and safety can be affected.

Do I need advanced math to run these experiments?
No. You can run the best examples of magnetic attraction: distance experiments with simple measurements, tables, and basic graphs. More advanced math helps explain the exact shape of the force–distance curve, but it’s not required to see and understand the basic pattern.