Creating an Electromagnet

Insulated wire is wrapped around an iron nail and connected to a battery to create an electromagnet. Coil count and current are investigated using magnetic strength to pick up paperclips and move compasses.

1. Gather materials for each pair: an iron or steel nail (about 3 inches), ~2 feet of insulated copper wire (AWG 22 or thinner), a D-cell battery, and several paperclips.
2. Strip about ½ inch of insulation from both ends of the wire.
3. Tightly wrap the wire around the nail 20 or more times in a single layer without crossing turns, leaving a few inches of free wire at each end.
4. Secure each bare wire end to a different terminal of the D-cell (a rubber band or tape can hold them in place).
5. Test the electromagnet by attempting to pick up paperclips with the nail’s tip; record how many it lifts.
6. Disconnect one lead to conserve the battery, then change one variable at a time: add more coils, use fresh or additional batteries in series, or reverse the battery connections to flip the poles.
7. Use a small compass near the coil to map the magnetic field direction; repeat after reversing the battery to observe pole reversal.
8. Compare results across groups and discuss which changes increased the magnet’s strength the most.

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• Swap the iron nail for different cores (steel bolt, large screw, ferrite rod) and compare lifting strength.
• Keep coil count constant but vary battery voltage (single D-cell vs. two or three in series) to see current effects.
• Test different wire gauges (thicker vs. thinner) while holding coil count and voltage constant.
• Build a fixed “field station” coil on a cardboard tube and use a compass to visualize field lines around a solenoid.

• Disconnect the battery between trials—continuous current can heat wires and battery terminals.
• Do not short the battery by touching bare wire ends directly together.
• Use only insulated wire; check for damaged insulation before use.
• Handle warm components with care; allow cool-down if parts become hot.
• Keep strong magnets and energized coils away from electronics, magnetic strips, and medical devices.
• Use wire cutters/strippers safely; supervise younger students during tool use.

• What creates the magnetic field in your setup? (Electric current in the coiled wire produces the magnetic field.)
• How did increasing the number of coils affect lifting strength? (More coils concentrated the field, increasing strength.)
• What happened when you added more batteries in series? (Higher voltage increased current, strengthening the electromagnet.)
• Why does reversing the battery connections flip the poles? (Current direction reverses, reversing the magnetic field direction.)
• Would the electromagnet work without an iron core? (Yes, the coil alone makes a field, but the iron core concentrates it and makes it stronger.)