Lesson 2 of 6 · Magnetism
Electromagnets
🧲
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
Energy never disappears — it just hides somewhere else.
What you'll learn
A current in a wire creates a magnetic field around it. Wind the wire into a coil and the fields add to give a solenoid field like a bar magnet's. Add an iron core, more turns or more current and the electromagnet gets stronger — and it switches off with the current.
Key words
solenoid
A coil of wire that produces a magnetic field like a bar magnet when current flows.
electromagnet
A magnet produced by an electric current, which can be switched off.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: which will move faster, and why?
Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.
Get ready
🧰 What you need
- insulated wire
- iron nail
- plastic rod
- low-voltage supply
- paper clips
- ammeter
Get ready
⚠️ Safety first
- Low-voltage supply only; the coil warms quickly, so switch off between trials.
- Do not exceed the supply's stated current.
Step 1 of 4 · Read
Think about what you just learned: say what "solenoid" and "electromagnet" mean in your own words before you start.
Step 2 of 4 · Do
Wind insulated wire around an iron nail and count how many paper clips it lifts. Vary the number of turns, then the current, then swap the nail for a plastic rod, recording the lift each time.
Step 3 of 4 · Observe
Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.
Step 4 of 4 · Record
Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.
Question 1 of 2
Question 2 of 2
Mind = blown
⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.
Nice work!
You got 0 of 2 right.
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✨ More to explore
🌍 Where you see this in real life: This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.
🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.
👨👩👧 For the dinner table: “Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Ready?
Electromagnets
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
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Print the whole Magnetism track
All 9th Grade Magnetism lessons as a printable PDF, with worksheets and answer keys.