Electromagnet
What kid (or dad for that matter) doesn’t love magnets? Invisible forces you can show off that set you right up there with Harry Potter or Wishenpoof…ok that’s a bit of a stretch but they are still cool!
What’s better than showing off your mad skills with an out of the box magnet? How about building an electromagnet right in front of your kids?!
What You’ll Need
- AA Battery
- Copper Wire (coated)
- Long Screw or Nail
- Sand Paper or Wire Stripper
- Pins or other small metal objects to move with the magnet
The Details
This one is a quick & easy project to get the kids thinking. By passing a current through the coiled wire the screw becomes magnetized and can be used to pickup or move small metal objects. The screw or nail you use may become warm to the touch, that’s all perfectly normal as the electricity creates heat.
Steps
- Wrap your wire around the screw or nail several times so it creates a tight coil around the nail.
- Use your sandpaper or wire stripper to remove the plastic coating from about 1 inch of wire on both ends of the coil.
- Hold the bare wire to the ends of your battery. You can also use tape or a rubber-band to fasten the wire to the battery.
- Use your newly created electromagnetic to amaze your kids with daring feats of magnetism! (daring feats not included in this post)
Very cool! How long did it take from beginning to end??
This project is a quick one. Took about 10 minutes to round up the materials around the house. I was able to keep the kids entertained for about 15 minutes trying to pick stuff up with our new magnet and I could tell their wheels were turning. Well worth the effort!