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Where: Group area, researchers laboratory, a room
apart
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How long: approx. 45 minutes
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What: Getting to know an electromagnet
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Preparation: Material: Bell wire, battery, long
screwdriver, two letter clips, stripping pliers,
cardboard, paper clips,
pins, other light weight items made of steel.
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Steps: The necessary materials lie on a table. The
children assume that they will build an electric circuit run, but they
realize that the light bulb is missing. The nursery school teacher tells the
children that one can manufacture a "magnet" with the help of the
electric circuit run. She builds an electromagnet with the children!
Instructions:
The blank end of an
isolating wire is taped onto the handle of a screwdriver. One winds the isolated
wire around the screwdriver and firmly tapes the last coil. The blank wire
ends of the bell wire are fastened to the switch and/or the battery poles
(exact instructions see activity 1). Now the children can experiment with the
electromagnet and different materials.
Interesting application
possibilities can be found in the literature indicated below (Cash:
Electricity - Building a
crane with an electromagnet)
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Scientific explanation: Items made of metal are magnetized by
electricity. If electricity flows through the coil, the item (here the
screwdriver or nail) turns into a strong magnet from one end of the coil to
the other. The more coils the wire has, the stronger the magnetic field.
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Possible variation: Instead of a screwdriver, one can also use a
long nail or screw.
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Note!
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References:
Ardley, Neil: Spannende Experimente aus Natur und
Technik. Bindlach 1998
Cash, Terry u. Taylor,
Barbara: Elektrizität
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