Forces in Nature Retest

Question

12 of 2012 of 20 Items

Question
Possible Points: 5
A student is investigating magnets. The student uses a bar magnet, a plastic ruler, and a paper clip to perform her investigation. The student places the bar magnet at different distances from the paper clip along the ruler and observes if the paper clip is attracted to the magnet. Her set up and results are shown.
Which argument can the student make using the evidence in her table?

Responses

Magnetic fields exist between objects that are not in contact.
Magnetic fields exist between objects that are not in contact.

Magnetic fields are strongest at the poles of the magnet.
Magnetic fields are strongest at the poles of the magnet.

Magnetism increases as the distance between objects increases.
Magnetism increases as the distance between objects increases.

Magnetism depends on the materials of the objects.
Magnetism depends on the materials of the objects.

Answer 1

Based on the student's investigation and the evidence from her observations, the most appropriate argument she can make is:

Magnetic fields exist between objects that are not in contact.

This conclusion can be drawn because the student is observing the attraction between the paperclip and the magnet at varying distances, demonstrating that magnetic forces can occur even when the objects are not touching. The other options either misinterpret the relationship between distance and magnetism (in the case of "Magnetism increases as the distance between objects increases") or do not directly reflect the evidence observed in the experiment.