Electromagnet Strength

Factors affecting the strength of an electromagnet

A-Level Edexcel IGCSE AQA Investigation

To investigate whether the number of coil turns, the current, and the core material affect the strength of an electromagnet.

Drag the sliding contact to adjust the current

Aim

To investigate whether the number of turns, current, and core material affect the strength of an electromagnet.

What to do

  1. Close the switch and use the rheostat to set a current. Read the ammeter carefully — where exactly is the needle pointing?
  2. Count the number of paperclips hanging from the magnet. Record this in your results table.
  3. Change one variable at a time. Keep the other two constant.

Things to think about

  • What pattern do you notice between the number of turns and the number of paperclips?
  • What happens to the paperclip count when you double the current? What does this suggest?
  • Why might the core material make such a large difference to the result?
  • What type of graph would best show the relationship between current and strength?