Download Make an Electromagnet For this experiment, you will need a battery

Make an Electromagnet
1. For this experiment, you will need a battery, copper wire, a large iron nail, and
small paper clips or staples.
Make an Electromagnet
2. Wrap the copper wire around the nail and touch the ends of the wire to the
battery. Try to pick up the paper clips. Does it work?
1. For this experiment, you will need a battery, copper wire,3. aTry
large
iron again
nail,withand
paper
oryou pick
the experiment
more small
wire wrapped
around clips
the nail. Can
up more paper clips? What happens if you use a bigger nail? A nail made of a
staples.
different material?
2. Wrap the copper wire around the nail and touch the ends
of
the wire to the battery. Try to pick up
The science behind the experiment:
An electromagnet is a magnet that can be turned on and off. In this experiment, the
the paper clips. Does it work?
battery is a source of electrons. When you connect the wire to the battery, the electrons
flow through
the wire.Can
If there you
is not a pick
completeup
circuit,
the electrons
will not flow.
3. Try the experiment again with more wire wrapped around
the nail.
more
paper
Electrons behave like little magnets and when they flow through a wire, they create a
clips? What happens if you use a bigger nail? A nail made
of
a
different
material?
magnetic field, which turns the nail into a magnet that can pick up paper clips and
staples!
The science behind the experiment: An
electromagnet is a magnet that can be turned on and
off. In this experiment, the battery is a source of
electrons. When you connect the wire to the battery,
the electrons flow through the wire. If there is not a
complete circuit, the electrons will not flow. Electrons
have a negative charge, so they induce a charge on
other particles when they flow through a wire.
Electrons can create a magnetic field, which turns the
nail into a magnet that can pick up small metal objects.
Questions (use pg. 310 as an additional resources)
1. What three things do you need to make an electromagnet?
2. In an electromagnet, what actually causes the metal inside the wires to act like a magnet?
3. List at least 2 things you could do to make an electromagnet stronger. If there is time, try one
out.
4. Who first discovered the connection between magnetism and electricity? What did this person
observe that led to the discovery?
5. What uses do you think electromagnets have?