What it shows
An electric current in a coil of wire makes a magnetic field. Wound round an iron nail, the coil becomes a magnet you can switch off, and more turns of wire make it stronger.
This idea has a short entry only. For the science behind it, read the sentence above with your textbook and ask your teacher to explain the law or idea it shows, so you can describe it in your own words.
Materials
- A large iron nail
- Enamelled copper wire
- A 1.5 V cell in a holder
- Paper clips
- Sandpaper to clean the wire ends
- A switch made from a paper clip and two drawing pins
Safety
For this project: The coil and cell get hot quickly: switch on for only a few seconds at a time. Use cells only, never the mains.
Never use mains electricity: power models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Sharp and hot tools, flames and lab chemicals need an adult or your teacher beside you. Keep magnets, button cells and small parts away from young children, and wash your hands after making.
How to go about it
Numbered steps have not been written for this idea yet. Plan it with your teacher: sketch the design with measurements, build one part at a time, test each part, and write every observation with the date. The free ebooks below have step-by-step projects of the same kind.
Take it further
Count how many paper clips it lifts with 20, 40 and 60 turns, and plot a graph.
Change one thing, measure what happens, and add a table or chart of your readings: that is what turns a model into your own investigation.
Free ebooks for this project
Science projects
Electricity and Magnetism Experiments
Hands-on experiments with cells, wires, bulbs and magnets
Science projects
Science Projects for Class 6 to 8
Working models matched to middle-school science topics
Find out more about physics
Free, well-known places to explore the subject further. Ask a grown-up before you sign up for anything or type your name anywhere.