Creating and Strengthening Electromagnets

• Physics
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

Creating and Strengthening Electromagnets

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson you will be able to explain how to make an electromagnet and how to make the electromagnet's magnetic force stronger.

Introduce the learning objective and explain its importance in the field of electronics.

What do you already know about electromagnets?

What is an Electromagnet?

An electromagnet is a type of magnet that is created by passing an electric current through a wire coil.

Explain the basic concept of an electromagnet and show images of real-life examples.

Making an Electromagnet

To make an electromagnet, you will need a battery, a wire, and a nail. Wrap the wire around the nail and connect it to the battery. The nail will become magnetic.

Demonstrate how to make an electromagnet and have students follow along.

Factors Affecting Magnetic Force

The magnetic force of an electromagnet can be affected by the number of turns in the wire coil, the amount of current passing through the wire, and the material of the core.

Explain the factors that affect magnetic force and show how each one can be adjusted.

Increasing the Number of Turns

Increasing the number of turns in the wire coil will increase the magnetic force of the electromagnet.

Show how to increase the number of turns and have students try it themselves.

Increasing the Amount of Current

Increasing the amount of current passing through the wire will also increase the magnetic force.

Show how to increase the amount of current and have students try it themselves.

Using Different Cores

Using a different core material, such as iron or steel, can also increase the magnetic force.

Show examples of different core materials and explain their properties.

Experiment Time!

Have students experiment with different combinations of wire coil turns, current, and core materials to see how they affect the magnetic force of their electromagnet.

Provide materials for students to experiment with and give them guidance on how to record their results.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.