An electromagnet is a magnet you can turn on and off using electricity. By hooking up a coil of wire up to a battery, you will create an electromagnet. When you disconnect it, it turns back into a coil of wire. Since moving electrons cause a magnetic field, when connecting the two ends of your wire up to the battery, you caused the electrons in the wire to move through the wire in one direction. Since many electrons are moving in one direction, you get a magnetic field!
Please login or register to read the rest of this content.


Have a question ?

Tell us what you're thinking...

Comments

13 Responses to “Electromagnetic Crane”

  1. Aurora Lipper says:

    Feel free to use any thickness (wire gauge) you like. However, it does need to me magnet wire which has a thin layer of enamel to insulate the wire so it doesn’t short out.

  2. Aurora Lipper says:

    Feel free to use any thickness (wire gauge) you like. However, it does need to me magnet wire which has a thin layer of enamel to insulate the wire so it doesn’t short out.

  3. johanna_stephenson says:

    Does the thickness of the wire matter?

  4. johanna_stephenson says:

    Does it matter the thickness of the wire?

  5. Aurora Lipper says:

    No, a straightened paperclip isn’t thick enough. It is best to use a nail.

  6. Aurora Lipper says:

    No, it is best to use tongue depressor sized sticks for this activity. Popsicle sticks aren’t wide enough.

  7. arrowmakercpi says:

    and substitute a nail for a straightened paperclip?

  8. arrowmakercpi says:

    can i try using craft size popsicle sticks

  9. I tested the video and it sounds good to me. It sounds like your computer may be playing the video twice. Try rebooting your computer and then playing the video from a different internet browser.

  10. noah_1411 says:

    Every time when you show a picture 2 voices talk

  11. I am so sorry you are having trouble! I’ll have my team connect with you right away.

  12. Mark Soderberg says:

    I can’t do any of the projects on your website because it says under the video that I’m doing the K-8 program . It even does it in the pre-k section.

  13. Shiralee Seerden says:

    It looks sooo cool I’m going to try it

    Samuel