Make a pencil float

Create a magical floating pencil using the power of magnets

1 Find the magnets

You’ll need some powerful magnets to create your floating pencil. The best ones for this job can be found in speakers. Grab an old speaker with four outputs of the same size and ask an adult to help you take it apart. They’ll need to use a screwdriver to prise the casing off the individual speaker then use a hammer and screwdriver to remove the parts inside. You should be left with one large, round magnet with a hole in the centre.

2 Make the base

You’ll need four of these large magnets and two smaller ones – they can also be found in the speaker casings. Get a piece of card around 12 x 7cm. Draw two lines around 3cm in from each end, then two more about 1cm in from each edge. Find out which poles are on which sides of your magnets by holding them near each other. Put double-sided tape on the north pole of two of the magnets and on the south poles of the other two.

In summary… 3 Float your pencil

Stick the two ‘north’ magnets on one end of the cardboard so that they touch the lines you drew. Then stick the two ‘south’ magnets at the other end, also touching the lines. There should be 1cm between the same pole magnets. Glue a small, vertical piece of card at one end of the base. Push the two smaller magnets onto the pencil and place it so the lead is touching the upright card. Adjust the magnets until the pencil floats. The two north pole magnets and two south pole magnets create a magnetic field pushing upwards from the base. The two magnets on the pencil are pushed away from this, and while the pencil would normally fall, the upright card stops this, so the pencil floats above the base.

“Place the magnets on the pencil, then adjust until the pencil floats”