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The National MagLab is funded by the National Science Foundation and the State of Florida.

Watch & Play

Watch & Play
See the science at play in these electrifying demonstrations and animations that illuminate the invisible electromagnetic forces. Or have your own fun with puzzles, games and a collection of interactive tutorials.

Interactive Tutorials
These demonstrations about laws and tools associated with electricity and magnetism allow you to adjust variables at and to visualize invisible forces — which makes them almost better than the real thing.

See-Thru Science
Seeing is believing. In these animations, we show you what electricity and magnetism might look like if they weren't invisible.

Game & Quizzes
Learn about electricity and magnetism — and have some fun while you're at it!

Science Demos
How do Maglev trains work? What are comets made of? How do bugs walk on water? This section demonstrates these and other concepts related to magnetism, electricity and other areas of science.
Read Science Stories

Read Science Stories
Whether you prefer science stories that are short & sweet, long & detailed, or in graphic form, these stories spell out the basics of electricity and magnetism and the exciting discoveries that magnets enable in easy-to-understand language.

Science simplified
Whether you prefer your science short & sweet or long & detailed, we spell it out for you here in easy-to-understand language.
Comic Collection
Read fun science stories told in comic strip style.
The Art of Science
There is beauty and art in science. Gaze on these stories of discoveries that could be featured on museum walls instead of scientific journals.

Left Fields
Explore these surprising, unconventional and sometimes downright strange stories about high magnetic field research.
Science Step-by-Step
These special science graphics explain science stories in digestible steps and include optional detours for readers wanting more background to customize your reading journey.
Explore History

Explore History
Electricity and magnetism discoveries span the centuries. Peruse the people, products and places related to electricity & magnetism from across space and time.

Pioneers
Get to know these pioneers who went down in history for their groundbreaking work, including scientists behind common terms such as Amp, Celsius, Kelvin, hertz and tesla.

Museum
From the world's first compass to the magnetic force microscope and beyond, explore a variety of instruments, tools and machines throughout history.

Timeline
Our timeline takes you through the highlights of electricity and magnetism and across the centuries.

Places
Take a field trip to these high magnetic field landmarks around the globe.
Try This at Home

Try This at Home
Science can happen anywhere! Try these hands-on science activities at home, school, club, or wherever you might find yourself! They’re easy, fun and can be done with stuff you have around the house.

Activity Books Atomic Ornament Brain Cerebrum Hat Crystal Growing DIY Kaleidoscope Drawing Magnetic Field Lines Fill-in Fractal

Make a Compass Activity Makeshift Magnets Making Electromagnets Making Ferrofluids Möbius Strip See Iron in Food Shapeshifting Slime
Plan a Lesson

Plan a Lesson
Looking for a lesson plan for science class or to incorporate science concepts into other subjects? These lessons plans offer detailed directions for K12 teachers to conduct hands-on lessons and align with next generation science standards.

Compasses Demagnetizing Electric Motors Electromagnets Magnet Exploration

Magnetic Putty Magnetizing and Unmagnetizing Making a Circuit Pancake Particles Plotting Electric Field Lines

Electricity Meter

The newest electric meters rely on different techniques to measure usage. But power to many homes and businesses is still monitored by traditional meters like the one explained in this tutorial. It also shows how usage of various appliances impacts power consumption.

The standard electric meter seen here works by electromechanical induction. Three magnetic fields are in play.

Instructions

Take a close look at the mechanics of the meter.
Note the oval shaped permanent magnet at the lower left. See how its poles are positioned around the metal disc that rotates in relation to power usage.
Unseen inside the meter are two induction coils. One is connected to produce magnetic flux in proportion to the voltage moving through the meter. The other produces magnetic flux in proportion to the current moving through the meter.
The magnetic flux from the two coils produces eddy currents, creating a force on the metal disc. The permanent magnet exerts an opposing force, so the disc rotates at a speed proportional to energy usage in kilowatt hours.
Experiment by selecting which household appliances you want to turn on, and see how it impacts electricity consumption.
Use the dropdown menus to change the hours per day that the appliances are used and the unit price of electricity to calculate monthly utility costs.

Physics

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