5G50.70 • Temperature and Magnetism: Curie Temperature
Location: Cabinet 3
Photo shows the demonstration used at the University of Texas at Austin.
Concepts Conveyed:
- Curie temperature: the critical temperature at which a ferromagnetic material loses its magnetism and becomes paramagnetic.
Instructions/Notes:
- Place the apparatus on top of the metal plate.
- Place the Euro coin on the magnet. The specific orientation is illustrated in the provided picture of the demo.
- Utilize a lighter and directly heat the Euro coin. Make sure to not place the lighter near the magnet as the lighter is magnetic. The heating process takes approximately 30 seconds before the coin’s Curie temperature is reached.
- Observe the coin becoming paramagnetic by the Euro coin becoming de-attacted to the magnet! This is shown by the coin falling off of the magnet.
- To execute the demonstration again, allow the coin to cool and repeat the steps 1-3 again.
- Note: Exercise caution when handling this demo as the coin will become hot to the touch as it is heated up.
Demo Staff:
- Ensure that the euro coin is placed in the correct orientation.
- Make sure to evenly heat the Euro coin by placing the flame from the lighter in the central region of the coin.
- Metal nut stays in place, do not remove from the apparatus.
- Include multiple lighters in case one runs out of gas!
Last updated on February 6, 2026