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🧲 Electromagnets

Discover how a simple coil of wire becomes a powerful magnet the instant electricity flows, and how to make it stronger.

lessons

~15 min

to learn

🔬 Science

subject

Teens

level

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What you’ll learn

What Is an Electromagnet?Explain that an electromagnet is a current-carrying coil that is magnetic only while current flows.An electromagnet is magnetic only when an electric current flows through it, unlike a permanent bar magnet. Current through a wire creates a magnetic field, and winding the wire into a coil, or solenoid, combines the fields of each loop into one strong magnet with a north and south pole.
Making It StrongerDescribe how increasing current, adding turns, and inserting a soft iron core strengthen an electromagnet.An electromagnet is strengthened by increasing the current, adding more turns of wire, or placing a soft iron core inside the coil. Soft iron is chosen because it magnetises quickly when the current is on and loses its magnetism when the current is off, preserving the electromagnet's on-off control.
Electromagnets at WorkGive examples of electromagnets in use and explain why switchable magnetism is so valuable.Electromagnets are used wherever controllable magnetism is needed. A scrapyard crane grabs and drops scrap by switching on and off, an electric bell rings by rapidly making and breaking a circuit, and electromagnets are hidden inside speakers, motors, maglev trains, and MRI scanners.

Questions this course answers

What is the key difference between an electromagnet and a bar magnet?

An electromagnet becomes magnetic only while current flows and loses its magnetism when switched off.

What creates the magnetic field in an electromagnet?

A current flowing through the wire is what produces the magnetic field around it.

Why is the wire wound into a coil, or solenoid?

Winding many loops lets each field add together, giving one much stronger magnetic field.

Which of these would make an electromagnet stronger?

Adding a soft iron core makes the electromagnet much stronger, as do more turns and a bigger current.

Why is soft iron used for the core rather than steel?

Soft iron magnetises when current flows and loses magnetism when it stops, preserving the switch-off ability.

Why is an electromagnet, not a permanent magnet, used on a scrapyard crane?

The electromagnet can be switched off to release the metal cleanly, which a permanent magnet cannot do.

Grounded in trusted sources

BBC Bitesize
Britannica
The Physics Classroom

Every Wunder lesson is built from real, reputable sources — never invented.

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