Why oh why won't my "simple" electromagnet work?

Forums: School, Kids, Electromagnets, Science Projects
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Mo had to do this demonstration deal for school. We searched around and came across "How to build a simple electromagnet" and Mo decided he would do this for his project.

We are having a hard time getting it to work and it looks so simple!

I think it's because we're having a hard time finding something made of iron. I had no idea it would be hard to find something made of iron. What they don't make iron nails anymore? What about a railroad spike!? That's iron, right? Guess again. (I guess.)

So then we've tried to find a way to test things to tell if they are made of iron and aren't having any luck with that. If we could easily test things for its iron-iness maybe would could find something to use.

And we bought insulated copper wire and when we stripped the insulation off of the ends to connect to the battery it got all frayed and impossible to attach.

So we tried coated but uninsulated copper wire and that didn't work either.

But it looks so simple!

<sob>

I've told him that I think we're going to have to come up with a different project but this is going to drive me mad. Mad, I tell you.

It looks so damn simple and we cannot get it to work.

Even Mr. B can't make it work and seriously, he's frikken MacGyver.

Is my whole family electromagenticlly making challenged or what?

Help!

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Type: Question • Score: 11 • Views: 15,067 • Replies: 34

@boomerang,

Hey Boomer - you can buy the kits at the local hobby store for pretty cheap...that cuts the looking for the right working parts all over the place out. That has been the only way I have been successful.

1 Reply

@mismi,

Brilliant!

Thank you. There is a hobby shop close to my house.

I just can't believe this is so difficult. I must have watched 50 video and visited another 50 instruction sites. It looks like something you can make with stuff around the house -- maybe that was wishful thinking on my part.

1 Reply

@boomerang,

I have run into this before...I have never succeeded with just stuff around the house. SO much easier buying a kit. Good luck!

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@mismi,

You know, that's kind of f-ed up. You look up these kids science projects and you wouldn't think you had to go buy some kit.

There are a gazillion sites about this and not one of them says "go buy the kit".

Grrrrrr.

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@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

So we tried coated but uninsulated copper wire and that didn't work either.

Now, that should have worked. Did you take a knife, or something and strip the coating (which is insulation) from the wire where you connect it to the battery?

Anyhow, any old steel bolt should work for an electromagnet. Just won't work as well. Good enough for a demonstration, though. Maybe you need a higher voltage battery. Sometimes power trumps technique.

I can't think of a single common item made of iron. It's probably only used for casting odd shapes

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@boomerang,

the irony is lost on me

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@boomerang,

boom, I magnetize a screwdriver often times with a car battery and a length of ordinary copper wire.

no magic involved...

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@boomerang,

I would bet a large sum of money that no current is flowing.

I just know you have no current meter but suggest you place a small flashlight bulb in serial with the coil and the battery and see if it light up or not.

Let see the battery is bad, the wire of the coil is open or shorted or as someone else had suggested the insulation on the ends had not been removed.

There is no magic in this and if you get a current in the coil you will have a magnet.

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To test for iron content use a magnet. If thwe magnet attreacts there is enough iron.
To remove coatings (both insulation and other types of coatings) from copper wire throw it into a fire.
Dont hang over it and breathe the smoke when the coating is burning though.
I dont know why you are having trouble with this. A 3 inch nail should work as long as its not a galvanised nail.
Try one of Mr b's good screwdrivers.

several fun learning experiences there.
1. Fire is always good fun for small boys.
2. What colour does the copper make the flames go?
2. What things around you house/neighbourhood/school can you get a magnet to stick to.
3. Make iron filing dance. (you'll need a jar of iron filings. Pour them onto a sheet of card place the magnet under the card. move the magnet.

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@boomerang,

Some bastard has changed the laws of nature on you for a joke!!!

Bastard.

1 Reply

@boomerang,

If the copper wire gets frayed, just twist it.

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@dlowan,

dlowan wrote:

Some bastard has changed the laws of nature on you for a joke!!!

Bastard.

That's the trouble with gods, their only real purpose (after getting things off the ground) is to run around changing the laws of "nature" for their own amusement. Water anyone? Oh, look, it's wine. What are the kids gonna drink now? Or the designated driver..? sigh... Deities these days!

1 Reply

@Eorl,

AND they keep killing Kenny.

The bastards.

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Okay. I'm going to try this again (and again and again, if necessary because I know this should work).

I will try with the coated wire, coating burned off, and something magnetic.

I used a new battery but perhaps I need yet another new battery.

Personally, I believe dlowan is right and the laws of nature are not the same in the B family vortex.

Thank you all so much for your help!!!

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...

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Okay....

Following all this wonderful advice we built a small one and got it to work!

Yippee.

So we decided to build a larger "demonstation" size model.

We followed the exact same proceedures.

It doesn't work.

<sigh>

We replaced the D (1.5v) battery with a 9v battery and it still doesn't work.

I'm completely baffled.

2 Replies

@boomerang,

did you lick the contacts on the battery to prime it?

(if the battery is dead, this won't be funny......)

you would have better luck with more juice, boom.

i think we used to use those funny square block batteries to do what you are trying to...

1 Reply

@Rockhead,

We gotta hit the hardware store today so I'm going to see if they have one of those big batteries. Maybe our big model is just too big.

1 Reply

@boomerang,

I think amperage comes into play there somewhere.

all my non-automotive related schooling fell off a decade or two back...

bigger is always better with batteries.

1 Reply

Why oh why won't my "simple" electromagnet work?

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