Electromagnets: Powering Technology

Students learn best about electromagnets by building and testing them directly. These hands-on activities let students feel the pull of magnetism and see cause and effect in real time, which strengthens their understanding of energy transfer and forces in ways reading alone cannot.

• 6th Class
• Scientific Inquiry and the Natural World
• 4 activities
• 20 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the process of creating an electromagnet by connecting a battery to a coiled wire around an iron core.
2. Analyze how the number of coils, battery voltage, and core material influence the strength of an electromagnet.
3. Design and construct a simple electromagnet capable of lifting a specified number of paperclips or washers.
4. Compare the magnetic field strength of electromagnets constructed with different variables.

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Pairs Build: Basic Electromagnet

Provide each pair with a nail, insulated wire, battery, and paperclips. Instruct them to wind 20 coils, connect to battery, and count lifted clips. Have pairs switch on and off to observe field changes, then discuss findings.

Prepare & details

Explain how to create an electromagnet.

Facilitation Tip: During Pairs Build: Basic Electromagnet, circulate and listen for students describing the magnetic field as a temporary force they can control by switching the battery on or off.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Small Groups Test: Strength Variables

Groups test one variable: coils (20, 40, 60), voltage (1.5V, 3V), or cores (nail, bolt, plastic). Record lifts in a class chart. Compare results and explain trends with sketches of magnetic fields.

Prepare & details

Analyze the factors that affect the strength of an electromagnet.

Facilitation Tip: During Small Groups Test: Strength Variables, ask groups to record one observation every two minutes to keep their focus on measurable change rather than just trying wires randomly.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Whole Class Challenge: Lifting Contest

Teams design strongest electromagnet for lifting washers within material limits. Build, test on shared scale, and present designs. Vote on most innovative use, like a mini crane model.

Prepare & details

Design an electromagnet for a specific purpose, such as lifting objects.

Facilitation Tip: During Whole Class Challenge: Lifting Contest, emphasize safety by having one student operate the switch while a partner handles the paperclips to prevent short circuits.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 25 min·Individual

Individual Explore: Device Hunt

Students list household devices using electromagnets, sketch internals, and build simple model of one, like a doorbell. Share in plenary with evidence from research or trials.

Prepare & details

Explain how to create an electromagnet.

Facilitation Tip: During Individual Explore: Device Hunt, remind students to sketch the devices they find and note how the electromagnet is used in each case.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should start with simple construction so students experience the immediate effect of current flow. Avoid rushing to abstract explanations; let students discover relationships through guided testing. Research shows students grasp electromagnetic concepts more deeply when they manipulate materials and share findings with peers rather than just observing demonstrations.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently adjusting variables to change electromagnet strength and explaining how current, coils, and cores work together. They should move from guessing to predicting outcomes based on data they collect during testing.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Pairs Build: Basic Electromagnet, watch for students assuming their device will stay magnetic after disconnecting the battery.

What to Teach Instead

Ask students to switch the battery off and immediately test whether the nail still lifts paperclips, then discuss how this shows the temporary nature of electromagnets compared to permanent magnets.

Common Misconception

During Small Groups Test: Strength Variables, watch for students thinking that adding extra wire will always make the electromagnet stronger.

What to Teach Instead

Guide students to measure resistance with a multimeter as they add coils and relate increased resistance to reduced current, using their data to identify the optimal coil count.

Common Misconception

During Pairs Build: Basic Electromagnet, watch for students describing electricity and magnetism as separate unrelated forces.

What to Teach Instead

While they wind the wire, ask them to observe the coil’s shape and feel the slight pull even before attaching the battery, then connect this to the magnetic field forming around the current-carrying wire.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Whole Class Challenge: Lifting Contest, provide a scenario where students must choose between two electromagnet designs to lift a small metal box in a factory, and have them write one sentence explaining their choice based on strength factors they tested.

Quick Check

During Small Groups Test: Strength Variables, circulate and ask students, 'How does changing the number of coils affect the magnetic field you feel at the tip of the nail?' Listen for explanations that mention current or resistance.

Discussion Prompt

After Individual Explore: Device Hunt, ask students, 'What adjustments would you make to your electromagnet if it needed to sort only small iron nails from plastic screws?' Facilitate a class discussion where students justify their design choices using evidence from their testing.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• After Small Groups Test: Strength Variables, challenge students to design an electromagnet that can lift 20 paperclips using only 30 centimeters of wire and a AA battery, then compare designs in a gallery walk.
• For students who struggle during Pairs Build: Basic Electromagnet, provide a pre-wound coil around the nail so they can focus on connections and testing without frustration from uneven winding.
• For extra time after Whole Class Challenge: Lifting Contest, have students research industrial electromagnets and present how their designs compare to real-world uses like scrapyard cranes or maglev trains.

Key Vocabulary

Electromagnet	A temporary magnet created when an electric current flows through a coil of wire wrapped around a ferromagnetic core, such as iron.
Coil	A length of wire wound into a series of loops or turns, which concentrates the magnetic field produced by the electric current.
Core	The material placed inside the coil of wire, often iron, which becomes magnetized and significantly strengthens the magnetic field.
Magnetic Field	The area around a magnet or an electric current where magnetic forces can be detected.