Find how varying the current in an electrical circuit affects the strength of an electromagnet.

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Aim

The target of my investigation is to find how varying the current in an electrical circuit affects the strength of an electromagnet.

The  c-core that I will be using will be ferromagnetic, meaning that it quickly becomes demagnetised when the current is switched off and that it is very efficient at increasing the strength of the magnetic field created by the current in the wire. It is also known that if there are more coils around the core, the electromagnet is stronger. The type of wire is another factor which will affect an electromagnet’s strength.

Prediction/Scientific reasoning

I predict that as the current increases, the strength of the electromagnet will also increase. I also suggest that there is a relationship of direct proportion between the two variables. For instance, if the current doubles, the strength of the electromagnet will also double.

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This is possible to be demonstrated when analysing the following equation:

Power  = Voltage   Current → (P=VI)

This shows that if the current increases, so does the power, subsequently increasing the strength of the electromagnetic field. This means that as the electromagnetic field is stronger, a larger amount of iron filings will be attracted to the magnetised core. I know that magnetic effects are produced by a moving electrical charge (current). This indicates to me that the current will cause the core to have a magnetic field.

To become magnetic in the first place, the electrons in ...

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