Electromagnetism

Make an Electromagnet

Aim        : 

To investigate the magnetic strength of a nail that is magnetized using different turns of wire.

Warning :

1.  Be careful not to short-circuit the source.
2. The wire should be wound closely around the nail with the windings touching each other. This should be applied consistently for all the experiments.
3. Check that the source remains steady at 3V.

Equipment :

•          Power Supply
•          Copper wire
•           Iron nail
•           Paper clip

Theory  :

Hans Christian Oersted discovered that an electrical current produces a magnetic field. This led to the unification of the fields of electricity and magnetism to what is now known as electromagnetism.

Method               :

1. Wrap the copper wire around the iron nail to form an electromagnet. Make sure that the loops do not overlap each other.
2. Assemble a simple series circuit with a power source and the electromagnet.
3. Sprinkle the small paper clip on the table.
4. Pick up the paper clip with the electromagnet.
5.  Count the number of paper clip attached to the electromagnet by opening the circuit and letting the paper clip fall on to the table surface where they can be counted.
6.  Record your result. Number of turn (N_n) and number of staple wires attracted (N_c)  

Results :

 Using the graphing paper, plot a graph of N_c against N_n to determine their relationship.

Conclusion:

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