Electro

Magnets
By Alvin,Anish
and Liam
What is an Electromagnet?
 An electromagnet is a device that uses an electric
current to create a magnetic field.
 You can make a simple electromagnet by wrapping
insulated copper wire around an iron nail or screw and
connecting the wire to a battery. The more wire you
wrap around the nail, the stronger the electromagnet
will be.
Material you’ll need.
• An iron nail or screw, about 3-6 inches long
• Insulated copper wire, about 10-20 feet long
• A battery (AA, C or D size)
• Wire strippers or scissors
• Small metal objects, such as paper clips, pins
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Steps 1 2

1. Leave about 2-3 inches of wire loose at one end and

hold it against the head of the nail.
2. Wrap the wire tightly around the nail in one direction,
starting from the head and moving towards the tip.
Make sure the coils re close together and don’t overlap.
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3. Leave another 2-3 inches of wire loose at the other end
cut the wire from the spool.
4. Use wire strippers or scissors to remove about half an
inch of insulation from both ends of the wire. Be careful
not to cut the metal part of the wire.
5. Attach one end of the wire to the positive terminal of
the battery and the other end to the negative terminal.
You may need to tape them in place.
6. Your electromagnet is ready! You can test it by bringing
it near it near some small metal objects and see if they
stick to it.
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Here’s how an Electromagnet works…
• An electromagnet works by using an electric current to generate a
magnetic field. When a wire carries an electric current, it creates a
circular magnetic field around the wire. The direction of the
magnetic field depends on the direction of the current.
• If the wire is coiled into a solenoid, which is a coil with many turns,
the magnetic field becomes stronger and more uniform. The
magnetic field of a solenoid is similar to that of a bar magnet, with a
north pole and a south pole. The polarity of the solenoid depends on
the direction of the current.
• If the solenoid has an iron core inside it, the magnetic field
becomes even stronger, because iron is a ferromagnetic material
that can be magnetized by an external magnetic field. The iron core
acts as an amplifier of the magnetic field produced by the current.
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 An electromagnet is a solenoid with an iron core that can be turned
on and off by controlling the electric current. The strength of the
electromagnet depends on several factors, such as:
a)The amount of current flowing through the wire
b)The number of turns of the coil.
C)The type and size of the iron core
d)The distance from the electromagnet.
 The more current, turns and iron, the stronger the
electromagnet. The farther away from the electromagnet, the
weaker the magnetic field.
 Electromagnets are useful because they can be controlled by
electricity and used for many applications, such as:
a) Lifting and moving heavy metal objects.
b) Generating electricity in generators and turbines.
c) Producing sound in speakers and microphones.
d) Storing data in hard drives and memory cards. Data A Data B Data C
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Common devices or situations that use
Electromagnets
• Kitchen Microwave: A microwave oven uses an electromagnet
called a magnetron to generate microwaves, which are
electromagnetic waves that can heat up food.
• Transformers: A transformer is a device that can change the
voltage of an alternating current (AC) by using two coils of
wire wrapped around an iron core. The primary coil is
connected to the input voltage and creates a magnetic field in
the core. The secondary coil is connected to the output voltage
and receives a magnetic field from the core. The ratio of the
number of turns in the coils determines the ratio of the
voltages.
• Magnetic card readers: A magnetic card reader is a device
that can read data stored on a magnetic stripe on a card,
such as a credit card or an ID card. The magnetic stripe
contains tiny electromagnets that can be aligned in different
directions to represent binary data. The card reader uses a
magnetic head to scan the stripe and detect the changes in
the magnetic field.
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• Pendrives: A pendrive or a flash is a device that can store data using flash memory,
which is a type of non-volatile memory that can be electrically erased and rewritten.
Flash memory uses tiny transistors that act as switches to control the flow of electric
current. Each transistor can store one bit of data by being either on or off. The
transistors are arranged in cells that are connected too word lines and bit lines. To
read or write data, an electric pulse is applied to the word line and the bit line,
creating a magnetic field that changes the state of the transistor.
• MRI equipment for medical studies: MRI stands for magnetic resonance
imaging, which is a technique that can produce detailed images of the internal
structures of the body. MRI uses a powerful electromagnet to create a strong and
uniform magnetic field around the patient. The magnetic field causes the hydrogen
atoms in the body’s tissues to align with it. Then, radio waves are applied to the
patient, causing the hydrogen atoms to absorb and emit energy. The radio waves are
detected by a receiver coil and processed by a computer to form an image
• These are just some examples of electromagnets. There are many more devices and situations that use
electromagnets, such as motors, generators, relays, loudspeakers, hard disks and more. Electromagnets are
very useful because they can be controlled by electricity and used for many purposes.
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THE END
Thank You
Alvin, Anish and Liam
isabiryegamer71@gmail.com