PERFORMANCE TASK

Name:

Section:

CREATING ELECTROMAGNET

As a young scientist, you are tasked to improvise an electromagnet using only the three
materials: iron nail, copper wire and a battery. You must show how these following three
objects can generate a magnetic field by attracting at least three magnetic objects. You will
take a video of yourself while doing the said activity and you must submit it on schoology
together with this narrative report (MS Word).

You can watch this video to give you some guides on how to make an electromagnet.
How to Make an Electromagnet - Science Experiment
https://youtu.be/na_FpTXLFa8

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

 Relate that electric current creates a magnetic field.

 Describe how an electromagnet is made.

 Investigate ways to change the strength of an electromagnet.

MATERIALS:

 nail, 3-inch (7.6 cm) or longer (made of zinc, iron or steel, but not aluminum)

 2 feet (.6 m) insulated copper wire

 (Two types of battery) D-cell battery and double A battery

 several metal paperclips, tacks or pins

 wide rubber band

Procedure:

 Prepare 1 nail, 2 feet (.6 m) of insulated wire, 1 D-

cell battery, several paperclips (or tacks or pins)
and a rubber band.
 Wrap the wire around a nail at least 20
times. Ensure you wrap the nails tightly, leaving
no gaps between the wires and not overlapping the
wraps.
  To continue making the electromagnet, connect the ends of the coiled wire to each
end of the battery using the rubber band to hold the wires in place.
 Test the strength of the electromagnet by seeing how many paperclips it can pick up.
 Record the number of paperclips that it can pick up.
 Disconnect the wire from the battery after testing the electromagnet. Can the
electromagnet pick up paperclips when the current is disconnected? __________
 Test how varying the design of the electromagnet affects its strength. The two
variables to modify are the number of coils around the nail and the current in the
coiled wire by using a different size or number of batteries. To conserve the battery's
power, remember to disconnect the wire from the battery after each test.

Questions:

1. What are the functions of each of the following materials in the electromagnet:

Nail - ___________________________________________________________

Copper wire - ____________________________________________________

Battery - ________________________________________________________

2. Describe what happens if you hold a nail or paper clip near the coil.

3. How did you test the strength of your electromagnet?

4. Can your electromagnet pick up paper clips when the current is disconnected?

Fill in the table below with how many paper clips your electromagnet was able to pick up.
Electromagnet How Many Paperclips Did It Pick Up?
With 10-12 coils(wire)
With fewer coils How many coils? _________
With more coils How many coils? _________
With a different battery #1 What size
battery? _________
With a different battery #2 What size
battery? _________

Conclusion: