| Make a science project using electricity to make a | | | | each. The first one tape onto the top or positive end |
| magnet | | | | of the battery which you attached the wire from the |
| This is great for demonstration at the science fair and | | | | nail and bring the other end of the wire and attached |
| is good for high school age students. | | | | with tape to the bottom or negative end of the 2nd |
| Go to your local hardware store and get the following | | | | battery. |
| items: | | | | 7. With the second piece of wire tape an end to the |
| - A nail (you will need a long nail that is at least 3 | | | | top or positive end of the second battery and |
| inches long.) | | | | attached the other end to the other terminals on the |
| - D Batteries - you will need 2 of these | | | | knife switch. |
| - Thin wire | | | | 8. Now if you push the top of the knife switch to close |
| - A wire cutter | | | | it you will have closed the circuit and now create |
| - Masking tape | | | | electricity running through the wires and all around the |
| - Electric tape | | | | nail. Do not hold the nail as it has electricity running |
| - Paper clips | | | | through it. Let it lay down on the table. |
| - A "knife" switch - you can buy one of these at Radio | | | | Using your paperclips bring them close to the nail and |
| Shack or have it ordered out of the catalog. I believe it | | | | see if they are magnetized. To understand this you |
| costs about $3.00. | | | | need to know that when current from electricity goes |
| Here are the instructions to make the magnet: | | | | through the wire wrapped around the nail it makes the |
| | | | magnetic field. The field is extending in circles which |
| 1. Taking your thin wire leave about 6 inches of wire | | | | keep expanding outward. When you twist the wire into |
| hanging and then start wrapping the wire tightly around | | | | a coil it is called a solenoid. Because the wire is coiled |
| the long nail. You will want to wrap it around 60 times. | | | | the magnetic field twists which causes the magnetic |
| When you are done let another 6 inches extra wire | | | | energy to stay inside the area of the coiled wire. This |
| hang from that end of the nail and cut. | | | | is a very strong magnet which is termed an |
| 2. Set your two batteries next to each other and the | | | | electromagnet. |
| knife switch next to them. | | | | When this electromagnet is created it causes all the |
| 3. Take the nail with wire wrapped around and face it | | | | fields to go one way which are consistent with a |
| so that the head of the nail is on your left and the point | | | | magnet and creates a north and south pole. This |
| is on the right. | | | | makes it strong enough to pick up things like a small |
| 4. Take the excess wire hanging from the point of the | | | | paper clip. |
| nail and bring to the bottom of one of the batteries. | | | | Let's see how strong your magnet is. See how many |
| This is the negative side and using the masking tape | | | | paper clips you can pick up. What if you make the |
| tape it to the bottom. Make sure the wire it touching | | | | magnet with only one battery. How weak is that |
| the battery. | | | | battery compared to one with two batteries? |
| 5. Now take the excess wire that is hanging from the | | | | This science project is great for the demonstration at |
| nail head and attach it to a terminal on the knife switch. | | | | the science fair. |
| 6. Now cut two extra pieces of wire about 8 inches | | | | |