Everyone in childhood loved to play with magnets: either attracting them to each other, or pushing them away, as well as magnetizing various metal objects, rolling them over obstacles. But it was a magnet, and it was childhood. As adults, we change our needs and interests, but at any moment there may be a need for an electromagnet, which is simply not at hand. In this article, we will try to figure out how to make an electromagnet from improvised means.
What is an electromagnet?
In general, a magnet is understood as an object that forms a magnetic field. And an electromagnet is a device that performs the same functions as a simple magnet, but due to an electric current. In other words, such a device will not work without electricity.
What do you need?
For self-production of such a device you will need:
- Nail.
- Medium copper wire spool.
- Switch.
- Power Supply.
- Soldering iron.
- Scissors.
What should be the nail?
If all the components are in stock and an unambiguous decision has been made about what is worth testing in practice, how to make an electromagnet at home, then first of all we decide on the "heart" of the whole structure - with a nail. If the question arose of choosing a nail, and not, say, a bolt, then such a choice is associated with its geometric shapes: it is round and even. The shape of the rod of the future electromagnet should not be curved and, moreover, square. It should also be borne in mind that the length of the nail must be sufficient for winding the wire, for example 120 mm.
How to make a coil?
And now the nail is picked up, which means that now it is necessary to wind the wire around it. How to make an electromagnet from an ordinary nail and copper wire? Very easy. The main thing is to wind the wire tightly, in rows adjacent to each other (this must be done in at least 4 layers). This operation must be performed with sufficient care to prevent rupture, otherwise such an electromagnet will not work.
How to connect?
The device operates on electricity, so the resulting structure must be connected to. At the first stage, we decided that our magnetic device will work from a power supply, but, on the other hand, it can be made portable by using a battery. So let's take a look at the last step on how to make an electromagnet. The coil is ready and has two free ends of copper wire left. They must be connected to a source of electricity, and it is better to solder them in order to better fix the contact. Also, for ease of handling, you can install a switch that will enable it to be turned on only as needed.
How does it work?
The principle of operation of the created device is very simple. Energy is applied to the coil, consisting of a rod and copper wire, causing the coil to be magnetized. Everything is very simple! And now you know how to make an electromagnet yourself. Such knowledge will certainly come in handy!
How to make a powerful electromagnet?
If you want to make the device much more powerful than it turned out, then for this you need to increase the coil. This is achieved by increasing the number of turns and the number of layers.
An electromagnet is a special type of magnet in which a magnetic field is created by the action of an electric current on that magnet. In the absence of current, the magnetic field disappears, and this feature is useful in many areas of electrical engineering.
An electromagnet is a fairly simple device, so making it is fairly simple and inexpensive. Even in some schools, students are shown the basic technique of making electromagnets using a wire, a nail, and a battery. And the students watch in amazement as the rapidly constructed electromagnet lifts light metal objects such as paper clips, pins, and nails. But you can also make a powerful DC electromagnet yourself, which is several times stronger than those made in classrooms.
So, first place your fingers on the wire 50 centimeters from the end. Wrap the wire around the top of the steel post (you can use a large nail), starting from where your fingers rest on the wire. Wrap smoothly and neatly to the very end of the pin. When you reach the end, start wrapping the wire over the first layer, making a new winding towards the top of the pin. Then wrap the wire back over the pin towards the bottom again, making a second layer. Cut the wire from the coil, leaving a 50 cm piece of wire at the bottom of the pin.
Next, connect the upper copper wire to the negative terminal and the lower one to the positive terminal of the battery. Make sure the wires make good contact with the terminals. It is desirable to have a button to turn on the battery, or you can put a contactor on one end of the wire to supply power to the electromagnet, closing the circuit when necessary. After successful assembly, check the functionality of the electromagnet by bringing various metal objects to it.
It should be noted that the more powerful the battery you use, the more powerful your electromagnet will be. Increasing the battery voltage and using more layers of the solenoid coil increases the power of the electromagnet. But at the same time, you need to monitor the condition of the wire, since it can get very hot, which can ultimately be dangerous. If the thickness of the wire is thin, the wire will generate more heat.
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Even a beginner physicist can do this. The article offers three options for how to make an electromagnet at home. Try it, you will succeed!
In the first version, there is an instruction with details of how to make an electromagnet of the simplest. Prepare:
- copper wire;
- nuts and bolt;
- scotch tape (preferably paper);
- electrical tape;
- well, a couple of hands with imagination.
Have you prepared? Putting the structure together. Washers are put on the bolt first. Next, scotch tape is wound (this will exclude a short circuit), everything is tightened with a nut. The result is the core of the electromagnet under construction. The end of the wire is now attached to the thread of the bolt. Begin to carefully wind the wire around the core, from turn to turn. Having wound the first layer, we return to the first turn. Now the second turn is wound. The sequence of operations is repeated several times. Each time the winding must be done carefully, one layer after another, from turn to turn.
At about the fifth layer, the number of turns decreases, but the density remains. As a result, we get a kind of "bulb". After wrapping the last layer, wrap the coil with electrical tape. A simple electromagnet is ready.
How to make an electromagnet, option two. Prepare:
- enameled wire;
- pliers;
- cambric;
- nail;
- electrical tape;
- paper;
- plastic washers for the diameter of the nail;
- source of power.
Use a pair of pliers to bite off the sharp tip of the nail. File this cut with a file. The butt should become even. Burn it in the oven and let it cool yourself. Remove carbon deposits. We take on the isolation. We put the cambric on the nail, install the washers on both sides so that the winding does not go beyond the cambric. We wind the wire on the cambric with tight turns. When the first layer is ready, wrap the layer with paper and move on to the next layer. More turns - stronger electromagnet. Do not forget to lead the wires outside after winding. The ends are stripped and connected to any current source.
Option three. How to make a powerful electromagnet? This electromagnet, like the previous one, will work from electricity. This means that the power is regulated, i.e. it can be added or subtracted. So how to make a powerful electromagnet? Cooking:
- a nail (you can take any size, just not a small one);
- copper wire (coil) of medium size in diameter;
- switch (whatever you find);
- power Supply;
- soldering iron;
- scissors.
Now let's get started. To begin with, a clarification: if there is no nail, it is quite possible to adapt an iron rod (or something similar). The main emphasis is on the material (iron) and on the form itself. The rod must be chosen long, not curved. should wrap around it smoothly, without spaces. Now about the wire. Suitable, as you already understood, only copper. Where to get? From any power supply. For example, a small transformer from a small generator. Focus on the diameter of the coil: it should not be too large. Ideally, medium size. Break (or cut) the plastic so you can unwind the wire faster. The entire coil will most likely not be needed.
The next step. We take a nail (or an analogue found) and wind the wire around it (evenly). Each thread should fit snugly against the previous one. I repeat: there should be no gaps. Wrap in several layers (at least four). Do not accidentally break the coil when winding: breaking the connection will not allow the device to be built to work. Now we draw out two conductors: the beginning of the winding and the end of the winding. We clean both contacts. Carefully, carefully. Copper wire, as you know, is very, very fragile. Do not damage it, otherwise you will easily break the contact. After stripping, both contacts are connected to the power supply. And you can also go to the switch, if you want.
That's all. Choose an option and try it. Good luck!
Sometimes a simple question, such as how to collect scattered paper clips or, moreover, find metal shavings that have fallen on the carpet, turns into a problem. And solving it is not at all difficult. To do this, you need to make an electromagnet with your own hands. Instructions on how to do this are shown in the video tutorial.
Video training "Do-it-yourself electromagnet (instruction)"
A bit of school physics
This is taught from school. Objects capable of "magnetising" are of two types - magnetically hard and magnetically soft. The difference between them is not in density, but in the ability of the latter to quickly lose their properties. If an object made of iron is rubbed or moved over a strong magnet, it "learns" itself to attract small objects. And if you quickly rub the halves of the scissors, they can easily "pick up" the needles.
The electric current flowing in the wire creates a magnetic field around it. In order to concentrate it in an electromagnet, you need to wind the wire around a coil. The magnetic field of the coiled wires, passing through the coil, will strengthen the strong magnetic field in it.
How to make an electromagnet with your own hands?
To make the simplest electromagnet, you will need to prepare:
- copper wire;
- a nail or bolt with a nut;
- paper clips or two plastic washers;
- stationery tape or electrical tape of any color.
Step one:
- take a nail and wind copper wire around it;
- strip the ends of the wire.
Step two:
- take a piece of cardboard and cut a rectangle out of it;
- split the rectangle in half;
- make a light cut and bend.
Step three:
- make holes in the cardboard halves;
- insert the paper clips, there should be contact between the clips when squeezing the cardboard.
Step four:
- connect the stripped and twisted ends of the wires to the paper clips;
- fasten the clips to the cardboard;
- insulate the ends of the clips with tape on one side.
Step five:
- connect one crocodile clip to the battery pole;
- connect the other clip to a wire wound around a nail;
- connect the other end of the wire coming from the nail with a crocodile clip to the battery;
- fold the cardboard, it will act like a switch;
- the nail will "work" as an electromagnet: the result is an open electrical network.
Let's check the operation of the assembled electromagnetic circuit. Lay out the structure on the table and scatter a few paper clips near the nail. We connect the halves of the cardboard boxes together, close the circuit: under the influence of the electromagnetic force, the paper clips will “pull” to the nail with the wire wound around it.
It works! Imagine how boring work with small metal things can be easily done with such a simple mechanism! And if you improve the invention, it can "work" even more efficiently.
By the way, the strength of an electromagnet can be checked using special devices called magnetometers.
In addition to iron, various alloys are used as raw materials for electromagnets. The most "strong" magnets are made by mixing iron, boron and neodymium. To "break" several small magnets made of this alloy, an effort of up to 150 kg is required. But this is in industrial production.
In the meantime, try making yourself a do-it-yourself helper in finding and holding small stationery or scrap from your home workshop. The options for electromagnets can be very different.
Invent, invent, try!
An electromagnet, unlike a permanent magnet, acquires its properties only under the influence of an electric current. With its help, it changes the force of gravity, the direction of the poles and some other characteristics.
Some people who are passionate about mechanics make electromagnets on their own to use them in self-made installations, mechanisms and various structures. Making an electromagnet with your own hands is not difficult. Simple tools and materials are used.
The easiest kit for making an electromagnet
What you need:
- One iron nail 13-15 cm long or another metal object, which will become the core of the electromagnet.
- About 3 meters of insulated copper wire.
- Power source - storage battery or generator.
- Small wires to contact the wire with the battery.
- Insulating materials.
If you are using a larger metal blank to create a magnet, then the amount of copper wire should increase proportionally. Otherwise, the magnetic field will be too weak. How much winding will be needed cannot be answered exactly. Usually, craftsmen find out this experimentally, increasing and decreasing the amount of wire, while simultaneously measuring changes in the magnetic field. Due to the excess of wire, the strength of the magnetic field also decreases.
Step-by-step instruction
Following a simple recommendation, you can easily make an electromagnet yourself.
We clean the ends of the copper wire
Step 1
Strip the ends of the copper wire that you will wind around the core. Enough 2-3 cm. They will be needed to connect the copper wire to the usual one, which in turn will be connected to the power source. 
Coil the copper wire around the nail
Step 2
Carefully wind the copper wire around the nail or other core so that the turns are parallel to each other. This must be done in one direction only. The location of the poles of the future magnet depends on this. If you want to change their location, you can simply rewind the wire in the other direction. If this condition is not met, you will ensure that the magnetic fields of different sections will act on each other, due to which the strength of the magnet will be minimal.
We connect the wire to the battery
Step 3
Connect the ends of the stripped copper wire to the two pre-prepared conventional wires. Insulate the connection, and connect one end of the wiring to the positive terminal on the battery, and the other to the opposite end. Moreover, it does not matter which wiring is connected to which end - this will not affect the operational capabilities of the electromagnet. If done correctly, the magnet will start working immediately! If the battery has a reversible connection method, then you can change the direction of the poles. 
The electromagnet works!
How to increase the strength of the magnetic field
If the resulting magnet does not seem powerful enough to you, try increasing the number of turns of copper wire. Remember that the farther the wires are from the iron core, the less impact they will have on the metal. Another way is to connect a more powerful power supply. But even here you need to be careful. Too much current will heat up the core. At high temperatures, the insulation melts and the electromagnet can become dangerous.
Connected a powerful power source - the magnet has become more powerful
It makes sense to experiment with cores. Take a thicker base - a metal bar 2-3 cm wide. You can find out how powerful the electromagnet is with a special device that measures the strength of the magnetic field. With its help and the method of experimentation, you will find the golden mean in creating an electromagnet.