Can a magnet slow down flowing water? Permanent magnets create a field that interacts with moving charged particles. Salt water contains dissolved ions (charged atoms) that may respond to that field. You fill a burette with 200 ml of liquid and time how long it takes to drain. You test tap water and salt solution, each with and without two permanent magnets placed at the bottom of the burette. Each test runs five times to get an average. Both liquids flow slightly faster without magnets. With magnets applied, the flow times change, and the salt solution shows a measurable difference from tap water.