Electromagnets
HOW TO MAKE AN ELECTROMAGNET
Purpose:
To increase understanding of relationship between electricity and magnetism by creating a magnetic field. To make an electromagnet and explain how and why it works.
Created by: JoAnne Towles
Diocese of Orange
Resources Needed:
Warm-up activity Bar magnet Plastic bag (facilitates clean-up), Lead filings. Paper (8x11)
Teacher Spool of wire,Scissors,Paper clips, Battery (size may vary)
Student Length of wire (about 15 cm), D cell battery,Nail (about 8 cm)
Your Task
Warm-up Activity
Place bar magnet in plastic bag. Put paper on top of paper so that magnet is approximately in the middle of the paper. Shake lead filings onto paper where magnet is.
Be prepared to share your observations and explain them.
Teacher Activity
Children must use eyes and ears only!
POSITIVELY NO MOUTH!
Children observe while teacher demonstrates that scissors by themselves are not magnets.
Teacher takes coil of wire,and attaches ends of wire to battery.
Teacher inserts scissors in center of coil and attempts to pick up paper clips. SUCCESS! Scissors are now magnets. Tell why --- continue discussion until connection is made to warm-up activity.
Student Activity
Student pick up nail and attempt to use it as a magnet.
Student wraps length of wire around nail leaving ends of wire and pointed end of nail exposed.
Attach these ends to D cell battery.
Use this end of nail to pick up paper clips. Why does this work? Continue discussion until connection is made with both other activities.
Independent Practice
A Few Web Resources:
Electromagetism
Interactive Physics (Electricity and Magnetism) -requires shockwave plugin
Electromagnetic Waves -java applet
Check out topics about electricity by searching - How things work
A Few Internet Resources:
Sheppard's Science Resources
Sheppard's Useful Links
Email: jmtowles@hotmail.com
Created August 21, 1999
Last Revised August 9, 2000
Teacher Notes
Suggested Grade Level:Intermediate grades 4-5-6
California Science Content Standards:
Physical Sciences: number 1 a-b-c-d-e-
Investigation and Experimentation number 6 a-b-c-d-e-f
S.C.O.R.E. Lessons Standards Search by Grade and Subject
S.C.O.R.E. Standards and Framework
California Content Standards Grades K-12
California Content Standards Grades K-12 - Science -PDF Format
Background:
What do the students need to know prior to beginning WebQuest?
In a permanent magnet, spinning electrons produce a magnetic field. Likewise, electrons moving through a wire produce a magnetic field.
In an electromagnet,the coil is the source of the magnetic field. An iron is not necessary but is nearly always used because it intensifies the field. The core is made from material that does not become a permanent magnet.
Source-Teacher Edition-Science in Your World-Grade 4 -MACMILLAN/McGRAW-HILL page 260 (1991)
Skills:
Science --- Interpreting Data, Making Inferences, Making Comparisons, Forming Hypothesis,
Making Predictions, Graphing, Drawing Conclusions
Connections with Language Arts---Listening Skills, Comprehension, Following Directions,Drawing conclusions.
Connections with Math --- Counting,Comparison (greater-less), Fractions.
Computer literacy and fluency
Effective use of Internet resources
Assessment:
Presentations -PowerPoint or Hyperstudio, Student created web page, worksheet, peer evaluation, rubric
Quiz:Complete the following sentences:
1.An electric current flowing through a coil of wire produces a(N)_____________________.
2.An electromagnet is an example of a _________________.
3.Acoil of wire moving through a magnetic field produces a(n) ____________________.
4.Electromagnets are used in many household appliances that have ______________________.
Homework
1.How does an electromagnet work?
2.How are electromagnets useful to us?
Enrichment:
(Examples)
Presentations -PowerPoint or Hyperstudio, Student created web page.
Follow-up Activity (Suggested for next day)
All these activities -Quiz, Homework, and Follow-up are taken with much gratitude from the TEACHER EDITION SCIENCE IN YOUR WORLD-GRADE 4 MACMILLAN/McGRAW-HILL (1991 edition)
Quiz-Independent Practice-#188 (#21-22-24-25)
Homework-page 265 Lesson Review (#1 and #3
Follow-up Activity -page 266 (all)