• Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

Investigating the factors affecting the strength of an electromagnet.

Extracts from this document...

Introduction

Electromagnet Investigation

Introduction

I will be investigating the factors affecting the strength of an electromagnet.

An electromagnet produces a magnetic field around the wire, it is made by passing current through a coil of wire. The strength of the field is affected by:

  • Number of coils
  • Increased current
  • Softer Iron core

I will see if the electromagnet is more powerful when the current is increased.

I will keep all of the factors of the investigation the same, to make it a fair test, this includes the same amount of coils and supply voltage.

Apparatus

The apparatus that I will require are:

  • A 2v Power Supply

  • An Ammeter
  • A Variable resistor
  • An Iron Bar
  • Wires
  • Crocodile clips
  • 100 Paper clips
Method

To carry out the investigation, I will first collect all apparatus and set up the circuit (as shown below).

...read more.

Middle

image01.png

After carrying out the practical experiment, I recorded the results and worked out an average, both of which are displayed in the following tables:

         AMPS

          NUMBER OF PAPER CLIPS

    1

...read more.

Conclusion

        These results also fully support my prediction because there is a stronger magnetic field as the current increases.

Conclusion

I think my method of carrying out the experiment, was a good and reliable one because when repeating the experiment there was only a 3 paper clip difference.

As there was only 3 a paper clip difference, I think the experiment was carried out accurately. To improve the reliability of the results I could have repeated the tests again, but I am certain there will always be a maximum of 3 paper clips difference.

        I think my results are good enough to support a firm conclusion that when the current is increased, so is the strength of the magnetic field.

        To improve my investigation I could change the supply voltage, change the number of coils around the Iron bar and even increase the amperage to make the investigation longer.

...read more.

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our AS and A Level Electrical & Thermal Physics section.

Found what you're looking for?

  • Start learning 29% faster today
  • 150,000+ documents available
  • Just £6.99 a month

or


Not the one? Search for your essay title...
  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

See related essaysSee related essays

Related AS and A Level Electrical & Thermal Physics essays

  1. In this experiment I intend to find out what affect the amount of turns ...

    coil in it * The size of the turns in the coil * The voltage from the lab pack * The current as measured at the ammeter * The factor that I'm going to change is the number of turns in the coil.

  2. Find out what factors affect the strength of an electromagnet.

    If you wind the wire to form a hollow cylinder in which a continuous series of loops are next to one another (this can be done by winding wire around a pencil) the magnetic field inside the cylinder is equal to the sum of the magnetic fields associated with all the loops.

  1. Investigate the relationship between electromagnet strength and amount of current flowing through the wire.

    Now, I will explain my method of measurement. The idea behind the experiment is very simple; to add masses of 50g and 100g to an electromagnet at a certain current (in Amps) and record the mass that the electromagnet could hold and then to draw a graph of mass against current and analyse its shape.

  2. Producing an electromagnet.

    * The mass that the magnet can hold (from when the nail drops) * The number of turns on the coil Preliminary results Note: Iron nail weighs 13.4g Current (A) Mass held (g) 0.5 0 1 0 1.5 28.4 2 43.8 2.5 88.8 3 290 By doing these preliminary results

  1. Test whether changing a certain variable in an electromagnet circuit (either the coils around ...

    If more current is flowing through the circuit it will increase the size of the magnetic field or the amount of concentration of electricity, when the current passes through the coils; therefore increasing the amount of domains in the core which become aligned and increasing the strength of the magnet, so that it pick up more paperclips.

  2. The strength of an electromagnet.

    This is the principal that is used to make an electromagnet. The effect can be further amplified by putting a piece of metal that can be magnetized (iron, nickel, cobalt or steel) in the middle of the coil. Magnets can be formed from certain metals (listed above).

  1. Factors affecting the strength of an electromagnet

    Prediction I think that by increasing the current running through the electromagnet then the more paperclips will be lifted, as I know from my background knowledge, that the more current going through the electromagnet will make it stronger and therefore more weight will be held.

  2. Investigating the factors affecting the size of current flowing through a length of resistivity ...

    This prediction can also be explained using a model which I will call, for the purpose of this investigation, the "electricity model": The resistivity putty is made up of many many conductive carbon atoms. Each carbon atom is surrounded by 6 electrons (4 in the outer shell)

  • Over 160,000 pieces
    of student written work
  • Annotated by
    experienced teachers
  • Ideas and feedback to
    improve your own work