Introduction
Have you ever made a magnet with a nail, some wire, and a battery? This kind of magnet is called an electromagnet because it uses an electric current traveling through a wire to make the magnet. To make the electromagnet in this activity, a wire will be wrapped around the nail and then the wire will be connected to the ends of the battery.
Objectives
- Make an electromagnet using a steel nail, a wire, and a D battery.
- Measure the strength of the magnet as you wrap more wire around the nail.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment features the following sensors and equipment. Additional equipment may be required.
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Purchase the Lab Book
This experiment is #4 of Investigating Magnetism. The experiment in the book includes student instructions as well as instructor information for set up, helpful hints, and sample graphs and data.
