Magnets are a standout amongst the most fun things to explore and experiment with. So, if you like me are fascinated by this small miraculous object, you can make your own super capable electromagnet (magnet that runs on electricity) in just about 30 minutes. The things required to make your own electromagnet can easily be found in your garage or at a nearby hardware store.
Things you need:
a) Iron nails, 3 inches in length
b) Thin copper wire (coated) approximately 3 feet
c) D battery
d) Tape
e) Wire strippers
f) Magnetic objects like thumbtacks or paper clips
This is what to do:
Step 1: Leave approximately 8 inches of the wire loose and start wrapping the nail with the copper wire, starting from the tip. Make sure you wrap the wire tightly without overlapping the turns, while leaving another 8 inches of wire loose at another end of the nail.
Step 2: Use wire stripper to remove the plastic coating of the copper wire (1 inch) from each end.
Step 3: Attach both uncoated wire ends to the positive and negative terminals of the battery. Use Tape to make these wire-terminal connections. Here, be little careful, as the wire ends may get hot when they come in direct contact with the battery terminals. Wear gloves while tapping the wire.
Step 4: Now try to attract small magnetic objects like thumbtacks or paper clips with the nail tip. Your electromagnet ought to have the capacity to not only attract them, butto even pick them up.
Making the magnet stronger:
Two things that can greatly improve the capacity of your electromagnets are:
a) Add more windings
b) Increase the current flowing through the wire
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