What makes electromagnets stronger

The bigger the current the stronger the magnetic field and hence the stronger the electromagnet. However, it must be kept in mind that there is a limit to the strength of magnetic field the iron core will support. The current can be increased but the magnetic strength will not increase in proportion. The core saturates and an increase in current will not cause a corresponding increase in the magnetic field.

Using a large, continuous ferromagnetic core, combined with properly-shaped pole pieces, can concentrate the magnetic field and make it even stronger between pole pieces. However, at high fields, ferromagnetic materials saturate, and provide no further benefit. The strongest electromagnets actually use no core — they are air-core coils.

These typically operate with higher current and are usually water-cooled to remove heat. Try to pick up one of the paper clips with your electromagnet. What happens? Now, unhook one of the wires from the battery. Will your electromagnet pick up a paper clip now? What do you need flowing through the wire to make the iron bolt act like a magnet?

How many paper clips will your electromagnet hold? Can you hang clips on both ends of the bolt? How can you make your electromagnet stronger?

Try adding more batteries to your battery pack. Now, how many paper clips will your electromagnet hold? How is the strength of the electromagnet affected by the increase in electricity traveling through the wire?

After using the electromagnet, remove the iron nail or bolt. Can the nail still pick things up? How many paper clips or staples can it pick up? Try dropping the nail or bolt a couple of times on the floor. How does this affect whether or not you can pick up any paper clips or staples? How many paper clips or staples can the nail or bolt pick up after being dropped? When we switch on the current, the coil becomes an electromagnet. But also, the soft iron core becomes a magnet.

It will add to the strength of the electromagnet. Picture 8. We can make the electromagnet stronger by increasing the current , the number of turns or by putting in a soft iron core.

We can make electromagnets stronger in a number of ways. Here are some of them: increase the current flowing use more turns of copper wire put in a soft iron core. Let's look at each of these. A bigger current will make a stronger magnet.

However, there is a limit to how much current can flow in the wires before it gets too hot.