Magic with Magnets

9. Which quotation supports the idea that the MagLab has helped to make advancements in society?

• A. "Imagine it is one million times more powerful than Earth's magnetic field and as heavy as a small herd of elephants." (paragraph 1)

• B. "Now imagine a fleet of super magnets together in one place where thousands of researchers and engineers . . . come to advance the fields of physics, material sciences, chemistry, biology, and engineering." (paragraph 2)

• C. "'High magnetic fields are revealing new materials for quantum technologies, combating climate change, protecting human health, enabling the magnet-based machines of the future, and paving the way to new energy solutions.'" (paragraph 4)

• D. "'People who are attracted to work at the MagLab have an element in their makeup that causes them to enjoy working in a collaborative mode to get great science done, . . .'" (paragraph 17)

10. What does the author imply in paragraph 9 about how objects move inside a magnet?

• A. The colder the temperature, the faster the particles move.

• B. The warmer the temperature, the faster the molecules move.

• C. The colder the temperature, the less magnetic the molecules become.

• D. The warmer the temperature, the more magnetic the molecules become.

11. Read paragraph 1.

That magnet on your refrigerator? Imagine supersizing it. Imagine it is one million times more powerful than Earth's magnetic field and as heavy as a small herd of elephants. Imagine it is powerful enough to help an MRI machine capture images of not just the organs, but the tiny individual cells in your body.

What does the word supersizing imply about the MagLab magnets?

• A. They are more useful than other magnets.

• B. They are much stronger than other magnets.

• C. They are more important than other magnets.

• D. They are made differently than other magnets.

12. How does the author develop the claim that magnets are important research tools?

• A. by listing all the ways that magnets are used in research

• B. by describing how research is conducted using magnets

• C. by quoting experts who provide examples of the research done with magnets

• D. by comparing how magnets are used to how other research methods are used

13. How does paragraph 10 impact the meaning of the passage?

Magnets in Research

10 "Our magnets are research tools," Boebinger said. "Much like a powerful laser or an accelerator or an X-ray source, magnetic fields can probe many, many things of interest. This is helpful to physicists interested in new materials that can make next-generation devices, to chemists who are interested in probing chemical structures, and to biochemists interested in doing magnetic resonance imaging."

• A. by explaining the MagLab’s purpose for developing its specialized magnets

• B. by showing that MagLab's magnets can help many different fields of research

• C. by describing the types of scientists who are best qualified to use MagLab's magnets

• D. by emphasizing how much more powerful MagLab's magnets are than other magnets

14. In paragraphs 6-8, how does the author draw a connection between simple electromagnets and the electromagnets used at the MagLab?

How Do Magnets Work?

6 So, what is a magnet? It is anything that produces a magnetic field. Various elements, alloys, and minerals can be magnetized, as can anything that has a moving electric charge—even a toaster —because electrons on the move create a magnetic field. 7 An electromagnet is made from wire coils (like copper, which is a great conductor) that produce a magnetic field when an electric current passes through. The more coils and the stronger the current, the stronger the field. Even children can make simple electromagnets out of household batteries, a nail, and copper wire. 8 At MagLab, electromagnets are massively scaled up. Instead of copper wire, they use stacks upon stacks of specialized copper and silver disks. The electricity pumped through is roughly 30,000 times the amount used to power a toaster. To generate world-record magnetic fields, MagLab uses nearly 10% of the total power consumed by a city like Tallahassee.

• A. The author describes how simple electromagnets move slowly, while the MagLab electromagnets move much more quickly

• B. The author contrasts the materials used in each electromagnet by detailing how the electromagnets require more and different materials.

• C. The author claims that while children can make simple electromagnets, only professionals can make the electromagnets used at the MagLab.

• D. The author explains that simple electromagnets can be created with any household item but that the MagLab electromagnets use a different power source.

17. How does the author's use of rhetoric in paragraphs 16 and 17 help develop her purpose?

• A. The use of expert opinion offers validity to his claim that the MagLab research is important.

• B. The use of emotional word choice explains the author’s excitement about the MagLab research.

• C. The use of specific examples highlights how the MagLab has streamlined research in all areas of science.

• D. The use of figurative language emphasizes the scientific advances that MagLab research can make possible.

18. What is a central idea of the passage?

• A. The MagLab is making significant advancements in many fields of science.

• B. The MagLab is the largest and most famous lab that does medical research.

• C. The MagLab magnets are stronger and more efficient than any other magnets.

• D. The MagLab uses four types of magnets to explore previously unseen particles.