Projects

Science Projects



Magnetism is a great subject for young scientists. Here are two good projects to help you investigate magnetism.






Electromagnet

Electromagnet

To make an electromagnet you need:

10 feet of wire, a soft iron nail and some masking tape. Take the wire and wrap it onto the nail. Leave about 3 inches of each end of the wire hanging off the nail. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the loose ends of the wire to keep it from unwinding. Take a small piece of masking tape and make a flag on one of the wires to mark it. The last step is to strip off some of the plastic insulation at the ends of the wire. You're now ready to test your magnet! Find a AA battery, hold both wires onto opposite ends of the battery. Put a paperclip by your magnet. It should stick! Unhook the battery, the paper clip should not stick. If you have a compass, put it near the electromagnet. Hook up the battery and see what happens! Try switching the marked wire to the other end of the battery. Does the paper clip still stick? Does the compass needle still point the same way? I'm sure you can find a lot of different things to try!


Iron Filings Box

Iron Filings Box

To make an iron filings box you will need:

A soft iron nail, a metal file, a plastic box with a clear cover and model cement. First take the nail and file it until you have a small pile of filings. BE CAREFUL so you don't get this stuff in your eyes! Put the iron filings into the plastic box. Use the model cement to glue the cover onto the plastic box. Make sure the cover is glued on air tight, this is to ensure that no iron filings can escape the box. Let the glue dry over night. Now, you can test your filings box. Put the box near a magnet, you should see a pattern similar to the one in the picture. You can use this box to learn about the magnetic field of any magnet. Be sure to take a look at "refrigerator" magnet strips too. Have fun!

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This page was last edited 11 March 1998.


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