Making Magnets with Electricity Lab

(Click here to see the movie of this lab!)

Purpose:

We wanted to find out if which magnetism the compass will respond to the compass or the wire.

Materials:

1 battery and battery holder
1 magnetic compass
1 piece of # 22 coated hook up wire, 80cm long
3 piece of # 22 coated hook up wire, each
20cm long
1 switch
1 steel bolt, 8cm x 6mm
3 No.1 paper clips

Procedure:

1. We connected the 80cm wire to the battery and to the switch. Connect the 20cm to the other side of the battery.
2. Unhook the 80cm wire and get the steel bolt
and wrap the 80cm wire around it. Make sure that you leave a little wire on each side so that you can connect it to the circuit.
3. After you connect the bolt to the battery, turn the switch on. When you have the electricity on, the bolt will become a magnet and if you did it right it will attract the paper clips.

Results:

The bolt can hold 2 paper clips, when the switch is on.

Conclusion:

We learned that if electricity goes through a coil of wire around a piece of steel like a bolt, then the bolt becomes a magnet, but only when the electricity is on.