When an electromagnet is placed next to another magnet, the attraction and repulsion between the two can cause movement or vibrations. In this activity, students will learn how an electromagnet works ...

Wind the insulated wire tightly around the nail to make an electromagnet. Set up the equipment as shown in the diagram. Adjust the power pack so that a current of 0.1 A flows.

Invented in 1824 by the British physicist William Sturgeon, electromagnets are a fixture of modern life, appearing in loudspeakers, motors, MRI machines, maglev trains, and particle accelerators.