How to Make a Temporary Magnet

Anyone can make a temporary magnet out of an iron nail, a length of conductive wire and a battery. This is known as an electromagnet, because it depends on the continuous flow of an electric current to generate a magnetic field. Disconnect the battery and only a small magnetic field will remain.

Things You'll Need

• Wire cutters
• Wire strippers
• 6-inch iron nail
• Iron spike
• Lantern battery
• 22-gauge braided insulated copper wire
• Tape
• Glue

Instructions

1. Get a 6-inch iron nail for the electromagnet's core. Pretty much any oblong piece of iron will work, but using something much smaller will result in a fairly weak magnet.

2. Cut a strand of braided copper wire about 10 feet long.

3. Use the wire strippers to remove the insulation from both ends of the wire. You should cut away about 1 inch from each end.

4. Wrap the wire around the nail from one end to the other. Be sure to not overlap the wrapping and leave at least a few inches at each end.

5. Attach the wire to the nail. Use a bit of glue at each end of the nail to hold the wire on. Tape will also work.

6. Attach one end of the wire to a battery terminal. Twist the exposed end around one of the springs on top of the lantern battery.

7. Touch the other end of the wire to the other terminal to turn the temporary magnet on.

Tips & Warnings

• To make a more powerful magnet, use a bigger piece of iron for a core, or wrap more turns of wire around it.

• Sometimes, an electromagnet will remain magnetized when you turn off the current. You may still be able to pick up pins or other small objects with the magnet off.

• Only wrap the wire in one direction. Wrapping it the other way will actually weaken the magnetic field.