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Build an Electromagnet
Problem: How can I make a stronger magnet
that I can turn off and on?
Assessment:
A: One World
B: Communication
C: Scientific Knowledge and Concepts
F: Attitudes in Science
Research: You have experimented with magnets in class, but scientist sometime
need to use very powerful magnets. But a powerful magnet has a problem, how
can the magnet be turned off and on? In 1820, a Danish physicist Hans Christian
Oersted, discovered that there was a relationship between electricity and
magnetism. Thanks to Oersted and a few others, by using electricity, we can now
make huge magnets. We can also cause them to release their objects.
Electricity and magnetism are closely related. The movement of electrons causes
both and every electric current has its own magnetic field. This magnetic force
in electricity can be used to make powerful electromagnets that can be turned on
and off with the flick of a switch. But how do you make an electromagnet?
By simply wrapping a wire that has an electrical current running through it
around a nail, you can make an electromagnet. When the electric current moves
through a wire, it makes a magnetic field. If you coil the wire around and around,
it will make the magnetic force stronger.
Hypothesis: If I wrap 1, then 2, then 3 nails with 74 coils one layer, 74 coils two
layers, 148 coils two layers, then __3 nails__ with____148 coils two
layers_______will hold the most paper clips because:
The more nails used will help the attraction stronger and the more coils and
layers will be able to pick energy from the battery and the energy will go through
the nail to the bottom so the energy will go through the nails from top to bottom
and the nail will be magnetic and the attraction will pick up more than 20 paper
clips.
Variables: Independent Variable: Number of nails, number of coils, and layers of
wire
Dependent Variable:
Materials
Item
Iron Nails
Copper Wire
Batteries
Paper Clips
Number
3
1
2
____24______
Size
____10____cm
2m
_____D battery_______
_______Smalls________
Procedure:
1. Wrap the wire in a tight even coil around the nail 10 X. Leave 10 to 15
cm of wire free on each end of the nail so that you can attach this to the
battery.
2. Look at the wire coiled around the nail. The ends of the wire must be free
of any plastic coating. If the plastic is on the wire, strip off the plastic
using scissors.
3. Attach one end of the wire to the positive + side to one of the batteries.
Attach the other end of the wire to the negative side of the same battery.
4. The nail should now be magnetic. Lay the paperclips flat on the table and
pick up as many paperclips as possible. Remember the paperclip must be
lifted completely off the table to be included in your data.
5. Record how many paperclips the nail picks ups in your data table.
6. Now remove the coils from around the nail. Can the nail still pick up
paperclips? Try dropping the nail several times, is it still magnetic?
7. Repeat the experiment but instead of 10 coils of wire in one layer, have 10
coils in 2 layers (5 coils down, 5 coils back). Record the number of
paperclips the electromagnet holds.
8. Repeat the experiment with 20 coils in one layer then 20 coils in 2 layers
(10 coils down, 10 coils back) Record the number of paperclips the
electromagnet holds.
9. Repeat the above experiment but with 2 nails then with 3 nails. Record
the number of paperclips the electromagnet holds.
10. Optional: If you have time: try part of the experiment above but with two
batteries. Do you think the electromagnet will be stronger or weaker?
Estimate how many paperclips you think a 2 battery electromagnet would
pick up.
Data Table:
Number of Paper Clips the Electromagnet Lifted off the Table
Number
Number of Paper Clips
of Nails
74 coils
74 coils
148 coils
148 coils
2 layers
2 layers
1
5
11
13
24
2
6
12
15
25
3
5
11
12
24
Data Processing: (optional)
Here you may include compressed photos of your lab if you wish.
Photos must be labeled.
Conclusion: Answer the following questions in complete sentences:
1. What are the independent variables in this experiment?
Answer: Number of nails, number of coils, and layers of wire
2. What was the dependent variable in this experiment?
To see how many paper clips can the temporary magnet pick up off the
table.
3. What happens to the magnetic domain of the iron nail when the
electricity passes through the nail?
It’s like a bunch of people doing yoga but when the energy passes through
the domain will be strait and then if the wire is off the battery it’ll still the
electromagnet will still work but for a while like a half-minute so when
the energy is out it’ll go back to yoga time.
4. How does adding more coils change the strength of an electromagnet?
Yes the electromagnet will get stronger cause of the reason why is that
the more coils the more energy will help the magnet get stronger cause of
the energy going through wire to the nail and letting magnesium come to
attract other metals.
5. What proof do you have to support your answer to question 4?
The proof is that me and my partner had at least did about 200 coils and it
work still
6. How does adding more layers change the strength of an electromagnet?
Yes the more layers is like saying to put more coils on the nail or
electromagnet, so if you put more layers on the nail the energy will go to
the nail come to the tip of the nail and more layers you put on would
really help cause of the reason why is cause if you have 1 layer your
magnet is horrible cause there isn’t so much coils to give the magnet
power.
7. What proof do you have to support your answer to questions 6?
The proof is that we did about 3 layers and it still works and it was able to
pick up 3 times the paper clips we pick up on the electromagnet.
8. How does adding more nails change the strength of an electromagnet?
The more nails you use will be able to pick up energy slower because of
the reason why is that the energy has to get through 1 of the nails then
that takes a while like 30 seconds so it’s takes 1.30 minutes
9. What proof do you have to support your answer to question 8?
The proof is that we did a least 3 nails but what we notice that the more
nails we put on the magnet the battery gets weaker and weaker and if we
put more coils or layers it will make the battery weaker and weaker so
when the more nails or on the electromagnet will make the battery
weaker.
10. From this experiment: What would be the strongest possible
electromagnet you could make? The magnet were we made in the Lab but
putting more layers, coils, nails, and more battery power.
11. From this experiment: How do you know that an electromagnet is
temporary? How do you know you can switch it off? How you can tell
that the magnet is temporary is that if you take the wire off the battery
it’ll turn the magnet of but not completely cause it still has some energy in
the magnet it will be a while before it turns off like 10-30 seconds and
now with the electromagnet, the electromagnet is powered by a batter
and the battery has electricity in side of the battery so it’s a
electromagnet.
12. Write a sentence that summarizes how the strength of an electromagnet
can be changed? By the battery because the battery charges up the nail
and the energy goes throw the coils to the whole nail and charges the
magnet.
13. Could any other material besides iron be used to make an electromagnet?
14. What is the advantage of an electromagnet over a permanent magnet?
There isn’t have any advantage at all because the electromagnet is using
the energy for a certain kind of time in till the magnet is done for good or
a while. Now with the permanent magnet it’s has a big advantage because
the permanent magnet never turns off ever cause the chemicals used for
the magnet is very strong to make a magnet.
15. When in real life are electromagnets used?
There are use for dumps and building making cause we can’t the metals
from to the top of a building or move a car with one putting it the crush
and it’s a good thing that we have electromagnets because we wouldn’t
live without them so the electromagnet is the greatest thing that can be
hand made by people.
16. Cite the source where this you obtained this information: MLA format
17. Where at IST would you expect to find an electromagnet? I don’t know
exactly but I think a White Board Screen [WBS].