Electromagnets: Practical handout
Changing the strength of electromagnets
Learning objectives
• Describe how to make an electromagnet
• Describe how to change the strength of an electromagnet
Safety
• The coil may become hot so be careful when changing the wires.
Experiment : Changing the number of loops (turns) in the coil of the
electromagnet
Predict: I predict that more / fewer coils will pick up more / fewer paper
clips.
Planning the variables:
Method
1. Press the switch to turn on the electromagnet.
2. Measure the strength of the electromagnet by seeing how many paperclips
it can pick up.
3. Increase the number of loops in the coil of the electromagnet. Keep the
current the same.
4. Repeat steps 1 & 2.
5. Record your results.
Results table:
Number of loops
Number of paperclips
Conclusion: (Write about what you found from your practical. Remember to
use your results to support your answers)
From the practical investigation, I found out that as __________ (more / fewer)
coils were added to the electromagnet, the __________ (more / fewer)
paperclips it was able to attract. As the number of loops in the coil increases,
the strength of the electromagnet ______________ . This is / is not what I
predicted.