Electromagnets for Kids: Turning Electricity Into Magnetism (Grade 6 and Grade 7 Science)

Hi, I'm Luna from DoodleBeez. What if you could switch a magnet on and off? You can, with an electromagnet! Today we will learn how electricity and magnetism are linked, and how to build a magnet that obeys a switch.

Here is a surprising fact. Whenever electricity flows through a wire, it makes a magnetic field around the wire. A compass needle placed nearby will turn when the current is switched on, even without touching the wire.

To build an electromagnet, wrap insulated wire many times around an iron nail. Connect the ends of the wire to a battery. The current flows through the coils, and the nail becomes a magnet that picks up paper clips!

How can you make it stronger? Add more coils of wire around the nail. Use more current, for example by adding another battery. And use an iron core, because iron makes the magnetic field much stronger.

Switch off the current and most of the magnetism disappears, so the clips drop. Like any magnet, an electromagnet has a north pole and a south pole. Flip the battery around, and the poles swap places!

Electromagnets are everywhere. Giant ones on cranes lift scrap metal. Small ones work inside doorbells, speakers and electric motors. Hospital scanners use super strong electromagnets to take pictures inside your body.

Now it's your turn. Your electromagnet only picks up two paper clips. Name one way to make it stronger. Pause and try. You could add more coils of wire, or add more current with another battery.

Great job! Electric current makes a magnetic field. Coil wire around an iron nail to make an electromagnet. More coils and current make it stronger, and switching off makes it stop. Practice electromagnets in the Science Lab at doodlebeez.com. See you next time!