A student placed a magnet close to each metal sample - AQA - GCSE Physics Combined Science - Question 1 - 2020 - Paper 2

If the paper clip was removed, it would no longer be attracted to the magnet. However, if it were then brought close to the south pole of the magnet, it would still be attracted due to induced magnetism, since the paper clip acts as a temporary magnet in the presence of a magnetic field.

The equation that links these variables is:

$W = mg$

To calculate the maximum force, we start with the given data:

• Mass of each paperclip = 1.0 g = 0.001 kg
• Maximum number of paperclips = 20
• Gravitational field strength (g) = 9.8 N/kg

First, calculate the total mass of 20 paperclips:

$ext{Total mass} = 20 imes 0.001 ext{ kg} = 0.02 ext{ kg}$

Then, apply the formula for weight:

$W = mg = 0.02 ext{ kg} imes 9.8 ext{ N/kg} = 0.196 ext{ N}$

Therefore, the maximum force the magnet can exert is 0.196 N.