COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina State Fair isn't just about all-you-can-eat deep-fried food and thrill rides--it’s also about experimenting with the ways the laws of science work. Since 1995, students and educators from across the state have gathered for Physics Day.
“We come out to show students physics can be fun and it’s in everyday lives,” says Nancy Kaser, Student Service Coordinator for The University of South Carolina.
Kaser says they are taking the lesson outside of the classroom with experiments that pique students' interest.
Jacob Martin from the University of South Carolina showcased magnetic breaking
"What we’ve got here is a pretty normal pipe, and if we take just a regular nut here piece of metal, it comes out really quickly," he explained. "But if we take this other piece of medal, drop it down, it seems to take forever. When you move a permanent magnet or magnetic field near a conductor like this one-- it's actually copper-- it's not magnetic as you can see because it doesn't actually stick, but if you move a magnetic field near it because it's conducted, the electrons inside the copper start to rearrange and move and cause it to de-decelerate. This effect is used in some of the rides around the fair like the drop tower where it breaks at the end and slows down,”.
Students were able to ride the rides for free if they attended Physics Day.