Aim: To make an electromagnet
Research: youtube video
Equipment:
- Big nail
- Wires with alligator clips
- Variable resistor
- Power Supply
- paperclips
- sellotape
Method:
- Wrap one wire around the nail as much as possible, and sellotape it so that it doesn’t unroll. This is the electromagnet.
- Connect the power supply in series to the variable resistor and the electromagnet.
- Change the voltage on the power supply, and the resistance on the variable resistor so that the electromagnet works.
- Pick up some paperclips.
- Take a photo of everything for your results.
Results: Photos of everything, and the magnet holding up the paperclip.
Discussion:
- How many paperclips did you pick up? – One sadly
- Is that a strong magnet?- Not really could be better
- How could you make a stronger electromagnet?- bigger nails
- What happens when you turn the power supply off? –
- How do electromagnets work? – when the coils of wire in an electromagnet have an electric current passing through them, the coils behave like a magnet. –
- How do electric motors work? –