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Create your own Electromagnet!

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Physics Volunteer Activities
Main Image
Physics Volunteer Activities
Created by
Western University
Activity Language
Time Needed for Activity

Learn about electricity and magnets and how they influence each other by creating your own electromagnet!

What You Need

  • A large iron nail about 3 inches
  • About 3 feet of THIN COATED copper wire
  • A fresh D size battery
  • Some paper clips or other small magnetic objects

Guide:

Safety Notes

NEVER get the wires of the electromagnet near household outlets! Be safe, and have fun!

What To Do

  1. Leave about 8 inches of wire loose at one end and wrap most of the rest of the wire around the nail. Try not to overlap the wires.
  2. Cut the wire if needed so that there is about another 8 inches loose at the other end too.
  3. Now remove about an inch of the plastic coating from both ends of the wire and attach the one wire to one end of a battery and the other wire to the other end of the battery. It is best to tape the wires to the battery - be careful though, the wire could get very hot!
  4. Now you have an ELECTROMAGNET! Put the point of the nail near a few paper clips and it should pick them up!
  5. NOTE: Making an electromagnet uses up the battery somewhat quickly which is why the battery may get warm, so disconnect the wires when you are done exploring.

Most magnets, like the ones on many refrigerators, cannot be turned off, they are called permanent magnets. Magnets like the one you made that can be turned on and off, are called ELECTROMAGNETS. They run on electricity and are only magnetic when the electricity is flowing. The electricity flowing through the wire arranges the molecules in the nail so that they are attracted to certain metals.

What's Happening?

Most magnets, like the ones on many refrigerators, cannot be turned off, they are called permanent magnets. Magnets like the one you made that can be turned on and off, are called ELECTROMAGNETS. They run on electricity and are only magnetic when the electricity is flowing. The electricity flowing through the wire arranges the molecules in the nail so that they are attracted to certain metals.