Strength of an Electromagnet Kit

You may be familiar with permanent magnets—the kind that hang on a refrigerator. But did you know that other magnets, called electromagnets, can be turned on and off? When turned on, electromagnets act just like permanent magnets, but if you turn them off, their magnetic properties disappear. Doorbells often contain electromagnets!

With this physics science kit, you will make an electromagnet and investigate how the strength of its magnetic field changes with its design. The kit contains enough magnet wire and iron bolts to build 4 different electromagnets. How many paper clips can each magnet hold?

Instructions for this kit are available online. See below for links to the instructions and more.

You will also need from home:

• Masking tape
• Box of steel paper clips (about 100 count)
• Scissors or wire cutters
• Optional: shallow plastic container, slightly longer and wider than the iron bolts

Instructions are NOT included with the kit, but are available online from Science Buddies.

If you have questions about your kit, please see the following FAQ article from Science Buddies:

• Strength of an Electromagnet Kit FAQ

Each Strength of an Electromagnet kit contains:

• 1 Enamel-coated magnet wire, 30 gauge (75 feet)
• 2 Alligator clip leads
• 4 Iron bolts
• 1 1 Lantern battery, 6V
• 120 grit sandpaper