Make a basic electromagnet

Electromagnets are very useful tools. They have the ability to gain a magnetic field with the introduction of current and to lose it once the current ceases. We will be building a very simple one that works with these principles. It is also a very cheap project, I had everything needed to make it lying around my house.


Update 1/27:
I added a better video, it isn't great, but it is an improvement.

Step 1 Gather Materials

For this project we will need:

One large nail
Around 5 feet of 16 gauge wire.
One D cell battery
Some electrical tape (optional)

All of this can be bought at a hardware store for under $4.

Tools:
Wire stripper
Pliers

Comments

[chalky]

hey that's pretty cool!!! so technically the more voltage the stronger the magnet??

[Kiteman]

And the more turns on the coil and the closer together they are as well. That's why commercial transformers (in wall-warts and the like) use very thin enamelled wire, because the enamel is thinner than PVC insulation, so the wires can be crammed closer together.

[alsports2000]

Greetings wiseman: I've read that overheating is a common problem when using electromagnets, is there a way to keep them cool or just turn it on and off when they get too hot???. Thanks. AL.

[ihaveguitarskills!]

i bet u can make a card board ice holder that u can hot glue or something to the side. maybe the side that is next to the batteries/device should be 3-5 peices of paper. if so, put the ice in a bag.

[Kiteman]

Fan blowing over a heat-sink? Turn the power down?

[alsports2000]

Greetings Kiteman: Just a quick question, how are the wires on both ends of the battery supposed to be secured???. Does it matter if they are taped or do they need to be secured in another manner????.. Thanks. AL.

[alsports2000]

Kiteman: Would using an earth magnet instead of a nail to make an electromagnet be a good idea??. I know from what I've read here that dealing with the overheating of an electromagnet is a problem but please give me your advise. Thank you wiseman. AL.

[Kiteman]

Not for making an electromagnet, no, mainly because you can't switch a rare-earth magnet off.

[alsports2000]

Why didn't I think of that?? You don't have to answer that wiseman and thank you for taking the time to respond to my inquiry. AL.

[Kiteman]

Any time.

[szechuan53]

how does the size of the metal within the coil affect the strength?

[Kiteman]

That's a really good question for a science fair project, so I'm not going to tell you. The variables to think about, though, are the length of the core and the diameter of the core.

[szechuan53]

yay science fairs thanks for pointing that out, if you hadn't I would probably have just googled it, but now i have a science project for this year. so dimensions are the only factors I should worry about, not density, electrical conductivity, diamagnetism, or something else?

[Kiteman]

The more things you think about, the more complex your project, and the harder it is to assign effect to cause. Stick to a single variable at a time, you get decent graphs and a decent result.

[chriskarr]

But, Kiteman, I thought it was the amperage that induces magnetism, and not the voltage. That's why, even though the voltage is high, a wall transformer that puts out 10kV DC and 23mA won't have the same effect as a car battery that can put out 20(?) amps at twelve volts.

[Kiteman]

Any electric wire carrying current has an associated magnetic field per unit length. You only notice it when you coil the wire to concentrate the field. The more coils, the greater the length of wire is gathered into the magnet. The greater the length of wire, the more field is concentrated in the magnet.

[chriskarr]

Well, then why is it that these coil-gun makers use capacitors (which up the amperage, not the voltage) to increase the shot-length of their guns?

[Kiteman]

When did I say it was only the number of turns that affected the strength?

Read my first reply above - "And the more turns on the coil and the closer together they are as well."

The three main variables are power (current x voltage), number of turns and the closeness of the turns in the coil. The diameter of the coil will also affect things, but not so much.

[chriskarr]

I took your saying "Any electric wire carrying current has an associated magnetic field per unit length" as a completely literal statement and understood what you were saying as any electric wire carrying current has an associated magnetic field (regardless of voltage/amperage) per unit length." and I didn't understand why you'd be saying that, especially with the obvious knowledge I've seen you display in the past. Excuse me for my misconception.

[Kiteman]

Ah! Confusion sorted.

[chalky]

- .... .- -. -.- | .... . .- ...- . -. ... | ..-. --- .-. | - .... .- - | .-.. --- .-..

[Mario1]

THANKHEAVENSFORTHATLOL i decoded it :)

[Mario1]

.. / .- -- / - .... . / -... . ... -

[chalky]

-.-- --- ..- | -.-. . .-. - .- .. -. .-.. -.-- | .- .-. . | -- -.-- | ..-. .-. .. . -. -..

[Mario1]

-.-- . ... / .. / .- --

[CybergothiChe]

Morse would be rolling in his grave... -. .. -.-. . / --. --- .. -. --. / .-- .. - ..../ - .... . / --- .-.. -.. / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . / -... ..- - / .--. .-.. . .- ... . / .. -. -.-. .-.. ..- . / .- / - .-. .- -. ... .-.. .- - .. --- -. / -... . -.-. .- ..- ... . / .. / .- -- / .- .-.. .-- .- -.-- ... / .... .- ...- .. -. --. / - --- / - . .-.. .-.. / - .... --- ... . / .-.. --- --- -.- .. -. --. / --- ...- . .-. / -- -.-- / ... .... --- ..- .-.. -.. . .-. / .-- .... .- - / .. - / .- .-.. .-.. / -- . .- -. ... /

[Mario1]

--- -.- / .. / .-- .. .-.. .-..

---

ok i will :<

[harley_rly]

i only know 3 letters :( .-, ..., and --- which means i can only spell 1 phrase(---...---) and 3 words(.-)(.-/...)and(.-/.../...)lol

[Derin]

_ _ _ _ _ . _ . . . . . _ . _ . _ _ _ _ . . . _ . _ . _ _ _ _ . . . . _ . . _ . _ . . _ . . . . . . . . . _ _ . _ . . . . . . _ _ . . . . _ _ . _ _ . . _ _ . _ _ . _ _ . _ _ _ . _ . . . _ . _ . . . _ . _ . . _ . . . . _ _ . _ _ . _ . . _ _ . _ . _ _ _ _ _ . . . _ . _ . . _ . . . . _ _ . _ . . . _ . _ . . _ . . . . _ _ . _ . . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . _ _ _ . _ . . . _ _ _ _ _ . _ . _ . _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ . . . . _ . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . _ _ . _ . . . . _ _ . . . . . _ _ . . . . _ . . . . _ . . . . _ . _ _ _ . _ . _ . . . . . . . . . _ _ . . . . . . . . _ _ _ . .

EXPLANATION:

m=_ _
o=_ _ _
r=. _ .
s=. . .
e=.

c=_ . _ .
o=_ _ _
d=_ . .
e=.

c=_ . _ .
o=_ _ _
n=_ .
v=. . . _
e=.
r=. _ .
t=_
e=.
r=. _ .
s=. . .

s=. . .
u=. . _
c=_ . _ .
h=. . . .

a=. _
t=_

h=. . . .
t=_
t=_
p=. _ _ .
:=(None)
/=(None)
/=(None)
w=. _ _
w=. _ _
w=. _ _
.=(None)
j=. _ _ _
a=. _
v=. . . _
a=. _
s=. . .
c=_ . _ .
r=. _ .
i=. .
p=. _ _ .
t=_
k=_ . _
i=. .
t=_
.=(None)
c=_ . _ .
o=_ _ _
m=_ _
/=(None)
s=. . .
c=_ . _ .
r=. _ .
i=. .
p=. _ _ .
t=_
/=(None)
s=. . .
c=_ . _ .
r=. _ .
i=. .
p=. _ _ .
t=_
2=. . _ _ _
/=(None)
m=_ _
o=_ _ _
r=. _ .
s=. . .
e=.
.=(None)
s=. . .
h=. . . .
t=_
m=_ _
l=. _ . .

w=. _ _
o=_ _ _
r=. _ .
k=_ . _

w=. _ _
o=_ _ _
n=_ .
d=_ . .
e=.
r=. _ .
s=. . .

t=_
h=. . . .
i=. .
s=. . .

w=. _ _
a=. _
s=. . .

w=. _ _
h=. . . .
a=. _
t=_

i=. .

u=. . _
s=. . .
e=.
d=_ . .

f=. . _ .
o=_ _ _
r=. _ .

t=_
h=. . . .
i=. .
s=. . .

m=_ _
e=.
s=. . .
s=. . .
a=. _
g=_ _ .
e=.

[harley_rly]

yeah...i actually started learning it at 1 point though...then i quit

[chalky]

lol:)

[chriskarr]

What is this?

[chriskarr]

(P.S.) That means the confusion is back?

[Kiteman]

_Show-off!

[chalky]

I thought,seen as though i started off the confusing debate on electro magnetism it would be appropriate for me to end it with more confusion lol:) ps/ did you manage to decipher my cryptic Morse code message Kiteman?

[Kiteman]

Good grief, how old do people think I am??

[Goodhart]

Old? Many of the licenses for short wave radio still require the knowledge of M.C. and at a certain speed (send / receive). ^{_{or did I just miss the entire context of the discussion?}}

[chalky]

lol no it started straying off topic a long time a go so i just thrown in some morse code for more confusion lol:)

[Derin]

_ _ _ _ _ . _ . . . . . _ . _ . _ _ _ _ . . . _ . _ . _ _ _ _ . . . . _ . . _ . _ . . _ . . . . . . . . . _ _ . _ . . . . . . _ _ . . . . _ _ . _ _ . . _ _ . _ _ . _ _ . _ _ _ . _ . . . _ . _ . . . _ . _ . . _ . . . . _ _ . _ _ . _ . . _ _ . _ . _ _ _ _ _ . . . _ . _ . . _ . . . . _ _ . _ . . . _ . _ . . _ . . . . _ _ . _ . . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . _ _ _ . _ . . . _ _ _ _ _ . _ . _ . _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ . . . . _ . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . _ _ . _ . . . . _ _ . . . . . _ _ . . . . _ . . . . _ . . . . _ . _ _ _ . _ . _ . . . . . . . . . _ _ . . . . . . . . _ _ _ . . EXPLANATION: you dont need explanations

[vela.u]

)))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((||||||||||||||||||||||||\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \ \ \\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ bad
this i s d worst info on electro magnet i hav seen till now