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Homemade Magnetometer With a Laser Pointer

Solar storms are caused when the sun ejects larger-than-normal amounts of radiation. Such radiation affects the earth and specifically the earth's magnetic field. One result of the solar storms is increased auroral activity (Northern and Southern lights). They can also cause disruptions in radio transmissions and fluctuations in the earth's magnetic field. A magnetometer measures fluctuations in the earth's magnetic field and can be used to monitor solar storm activity.

Things You'll Need

2-liter plastic bottle
2 pounds of sand
2 feet of thread
Small bar magnet
3x5-inch card
1-inch piece of straw
1 mirrored dress sequin, or small craft mirror
Super glue
2-inch clear tape
Tape measure
Laser pointer
Binder clip
Blocks of wood
Scissors
Awl

Instructions

- 1
  Cut off the top 6 inches of the bottle. Punch a small hole in the bottle cap.
- 2
  Fill the bottom of the bottle with sand. Cut the card so it fits inside the bottle without touching either side.
- 3
  Glue the magnet to the top-center of the card and the straw to the top of the magnet. Glue the sequin to the center of the card below the magnet.
- 4
  Feed the thread through the straw and tie it together so about 2 inches stick out on each side of the straw. Cut the thread. Hold the card up by the thread and adjust the point you're gripping until the card hangs level. Tie a piece of thread to that level point and pass it through the hole in the bottle cap.
- 5
  Tape the top of the bottle to the bottom of the bottle and pull the thread up until the card hangs freely, not touching the sand or the edges of the bottle. Glue the thread in place.
- 6
  Clip the laser pointer in the binder clip so the lip of the binder clip presses the activation button to turn on the laser. Set the binder clip on blocks so the laser is the same height as the sequin on the note card. Mark the spot where the laser reflects on the wall. Note variations in the spot on the wall as the magnetic field of the earth is affected by solar storms.

Astronomy