Did you know you can create a magnet that turns on and off? Using electricity, you can learn how to make an electromagnet to pick up objects like paper clips! Let’s explore this simple science project that’s perfect for young scientists.
What Is An Electromagnet?
An electromagnet is a magnet created by electric current. Unlike regular magnets, electromagnets can be turned on and off. This is because they rely on electricity flowing through a coil of wire to create a magnetic field. This fascinating experiment below will show you how to make your own electromagnet and learn the science behind it!
💡 Read more about the science of magnets here.
How To Make An Electromagnet
Grade Level: 4th – 8th Grade
Supplies
- AA or C battery
- Copper wire
- Large iron nail (or screw)
- Electrical tape
- Paper clips or other small metal objects like safety pins
- Free science journal pages here
Instructions:
🛑 Adult supervision is highly suggested for this project.
STEP 1: Take the copper wire and wrap it around the nail, leaving about an inch free on each end.
Step 2: Use electrical tape to attach the free ends of the wire to the positive and negative ends of the battery.
Step 3: Test your magnet by holding the nail near the paperclips. What happens? If done correctly, your nail should now attract the paperclips!
Step 4: Disconnect one of the wires from the battery to see if the nail still attracts metal objects. This demonstrates that the magnetism is controlled by electricity.
How Does An Electromagnet Work
When electricity flows through the wire, it creates a magnetic field around the nail. This magnetic field is strong enough to attract small metal objects like paperclips. When you remove the wire from the battery, the electricity stops flowing, and the magnetic field disappears.
Extension Activities
Applying the Scientific Method
Turn this into a science fair project. Use the scientific method and variables to create an exciting science investigation and presentation.
- Question: How does the number of wire coils affect the strength of an electromagnet?
- Hypothesis: If more coils are added, then the electromagnet will become stronger.
- Experiment: Wrap the wire around the nail with different numbers of coils (e.g., 10, 20, 30) and test how many paperclips each version can pick up.
- Observation: Record the number of paperclips picked up by each electromagnet.
- Conclusion: Analyze the data to see if more coils increased the magnet’s strength.
Related Magnet Activities
- Magnet Hunt: Explore your home or classroom to find items attracted to magnets.
- Simple Electric Circuits: Build a basic circuit to understand how electricity flows. Try a potato battery or a lemon battery.
- Magnetic Slime: Make magnetic slime using iron filings and a magnet to see magnetic properties.
- DIY Compass: Create a compass using a magnetized needle and a bowl of water. This simple project shows how Earth’s magnetic field interacts with magnetic materials to indicate direction.
- Make a Homopolar Motor: Build this simple homopolar motor to explore electricity and magnetism.
Helpful Science Resources
Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kids or students and feel confident presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.
- Join us in the Club
- Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
- Science Vocabulary
- All About Scientists
- Free Science Worksheets
- DIY Science Kits
- Science Tools for Kids
- Scientific Method for Kids
- Citizen Science Guide
Printable STEM Activities Pack for Kids
80+ Doable Engineering Projects in one convenient pack!
- Full instructions with sample images
- Activity-specific instruction sheets
- Data Collection Sheets
- Questions for Reflection
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- Real-world STEM challenge lesson but don’t know where to start? Our easy-to-follow template shows the steps!
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- Crossword and word search with engineering vocabulary.
- Engineering vocabulary cards
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