how do i explain magnets and forces to my eight year old?

Answer 1

http://www.discoverthis.com/elmag.html

I think I would even have fun with this!

Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

ps I just saw this show on the history channel
http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=76191

Answer 2

I think 8 years old is just about old enough to start to understand these things (forces are a pretty abstract concept, especially forces like magnetism and gravity, since they act without touching).

The best thing to do is have her/him play and investigate. Show her/him some neat tricks, and let her/him figure out how you did it.

Can you get your hands on some iron filings? Put a bar magnet on the table, put a piece of paper (or better yet, a clear transparancy) over it, and sprinkle on a liberal amount of the iron filings. This will reveal the magnetic field lines. Get some other magnets (horseshoe, circular, etc) and repeat to see the differences. Put two bar magnets near each other (but not touching) in various configurations (like poles together, like poles apart, etc). I have my college students do this as an introduction to our magnetism section - they seem to enjoy it and learn from it.

Answer 3

With a demonstration.