In this activity children investigate the properties of materials in order to design a coin sorter to distinguish between old and new silver coins.
Description
Silver 5p and 10p coins have always been made from a metal known as cupronickel, an alloy made of 75 per cent copper, 25 per cent nickel. Indeed, all shillings, which preceded the 5p coin, were made from cupronickel following the end of World War II. However, the government proposes to change the coins by using nickel-coated steel rather than copper which has surged in price in recent years. In addition the new coins will be 11% thicker.
Children will investigate the properties of materials in order to design a coin sorter to distinguish between the old and new silver coins.
Learning Objective:
- that some metals are magnetic but most materials are not
Children will learn:
- to carry out an experiment to test a prediction
- to apply scientific knowledge to everyday situations
These resources were initially developed in partnership with the Centre for Science Education, Sheffield Hallam University.