Science - Magnets

You can check out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/science/energy_electricity_forces/magnets_electric_effects/revise1.shtml and go through the notes and revise sessions.

Here is an educational series of 4 parts on magnetism:








I also read something really interesting in my KS3 textbook about this "magnetic" train  in Birmingham that uses the effect of magnets to levitate and this reduces friction and results in higher speeds.   Its called Maglev (Magnetic Leviation).

It works like this "It uses magnetic forces to make the vehicles hover above the track rather than running along them, thus reducing the friction between the two and allowing much higher speeds to be attained than are safely achievable on any other form of ground based public transport".

In the article I noticed that this train "operated between 1985 and 1995, but this low-speed service suffered so many problems that it has now been replaced with a regular shuttle train service".

They go on to say this "Maglev railway systems have been successfully demonstrated in both testing phases and commercial use, and they have proved to be much faster and just as reliable as conventional railways. However, since maglev systems are unable to use conventional railway infrastructures they have to be designed as entire transport systems. This means that a new maglev railway link will have a phenomenal set up cost encompassing the building of terminals, locomotives and guideways. It is this initial cost that has thus far held back the widespread implementation of maglev technology. However, with so many companies competing to adapt this technology, in the future it is highly likely that Magnetic Levitation will see much greater use all over the world and will become part of everyday transport."

You can read more about it here 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev_(transport)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A21605663

If you want to have a laugh about how magnets work listen to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvmvxAcT_Yc