An activity you can use in the classroom
In 1820, Danish physicist Hans Christian Oersted discovered that a compass was affected when a current flowed through a nearby wire. Not long after that, André Marie Ampëre discovered that coiled wire acted like a bar magnet when a current was passed through it. He also found that he could turn an iron rod into a temporary bar magnet when he coiled electric wire around the rod. In 1831, Michael Faraday proved that magnetism and electricity are related. He showed that when a bar magnet was placed within a wire coil, the magnet produced an electric current. In this activity, you are going to use electricity to turn a nail into an electromagnet.
- 4-inch iron or steel nail
- 24-inch piece of thin-gauge wire with 1-inch of insulation removed from each end
- D-cell flashlight battery
- 10 steel paperclips
- Is the nail magnetic? See if you can use it to pick up the paper clips. Write your observations on the attached worksheet.
- Wrap the center portion of the wire around the nail 10 times so that it forms a coil. You should have extra wire at both ends.
- Attach one end of the wire to the (+) terminal of the battery. Then, attach the other end of the wire to the (-) terminal.
- Is the electrified nail magnetic? Bring the end of it close to the paper clips, making sure that the wires stay attached to the battery. Write your observations on the worksheet.
- Repeat steps 2 - 4, but this time wind the wire around the nail 20 times. Record your observations on the worksheet.
- Repeat steps 2 - 4, but this time wind the wire around the nail 30 times. Record your observations on the worksheet.
- Answer the remaining questions on the worksheet.
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