Electromagnet Lesson

An electromagnet works using electricity

It can be turned on or off

An electromagnet is easy to make

We need a coil of wire and a battery (or low voltage power supply

We use the wire coil and battery to make an electric current flow through the coil

It is easy to switch electricity on and off. This means we can switch an electromagnet on and off

_{Can you think of any potential uses for a magnet you can turn on and off?}

Cranes are used in scrap yards where heavy, metal objects are moved by a electromagnets on the cranes (not hooks)

In the first picture, the crane driver turns on the electromagnet to lift the old car

When the car is over the correct position, the driver turns off the magnet to drop the car

Here is a way to make a stronger electromagnet

Wrap the wire around a piece of iron called a core

Iron is a magnetic material. When a current flows in the coil, the iron becomes magnetised making the magnetic field much stronger

_{Would a wooden core work?}