Magnetic field project Variables Spider Diagram

Size of magnets

Distance between the objects

Magnetic field strength

The amount current

Times turning on the electromagnet

Introduction Unlike other simple magnets, and electromagnet can be switch on and off. An electromagnet, a coil, consist of a big amount of insulated copper wires. When a current flows through the coil it produces a magnetic field. The strength of the magnetic field is increased by increasing the amount of current and increasing the number of turns in the coil. So how can we prove that current can affect the magnetic field strength? Aim We want to test ways to change this magnetic field strength between the current and electromagnet. We decided to use paperclips to see how many of these can the electromagnet attract by increasing the current. Our goal is to find out how does the current affect the numbers of paper clips attracted to the electromagnet, the flow of the current through the wire will tell us whether the electricity is factor of increasing the magnetic field strength, we will measure it by counting the paperclips, and with our results, we will see if its a true fact.

Variable Table

Variable

Type

How will you change it and what range of values will you use?

Changing the current through the electro magnet

Independent We will change the amps from the current to see how strong or weak can become the electromagnet. With the paperclips attracted to the magnet we will know which

amount of amps is stronger. Trying to be accurate with the changes of the current, starting from low to high amount of amps, and not all randomly. Do the same with every different quantity of amps

Variable
Measuring the magnetic field strength

Type
Dependent

How will you measure it?

We will use a big amount of paper clips, that will be lifted up to the electromagnet by switching on the current, will change the current and see how this affects the magnet field strength

Variable

Type

How will you keep it constant?

Amount of paperclips

Control

Being accurate with the same amount of paperclips by not adding more so it doesnt affect the experiment, and avoiding any other material close to it. By putting the same distancebetween the electromagnet and paperclips, every time we change the amps, so theres no mistakes By not changing the size of the magnet, keeping it the same without any change between the magnets use for the experiment. We have to make the same amount of turn on so theres not a mistake in the results, each we are changing the current, in order to attract paperclips. Trying to keep everything organize without moving the things already placed, so theres not an abnormal result because of moving the things

Distance between the objects

Control

Size of the magnet

Control

Times turning on the electromagnet

Control

Organisation

Control

Prediction I think that increasing the amount of current through the electromagnet, will massively improve the magnetic field strength, because theres more voltage, energy which means theres more strength in the forces of magnetic fields. If theres less amps in the current the electromagnet will not pull as many paperclips as when you have higher amps.

Apparatus Electromagnet Paperclips Ruler Copper Wires Power pack Ammeter

Diagram

Ruler Paperclips

Instructions 1. First set the apparatus as shown in the diagram 2. Adjust the position of the electromagnet and paperclips so theres no any mistake between the results, being very accurate without any movement. 3. Trying to keep the amount of paperclips in a same pile where it doesnt spread out and loses some paperclips affecting the project 4. Use the ruler to measure the instruments in a specific distance where it doesnt change.

5. Attach the power pack to the electromagnet and put in a set current to 0.5 A using the variable resistor amount of amps, when measuring the results 6. Measuring the amps from low to high amounts, so we keep it accurate, avoiding random results 7. Finally change many times the amps of the current and see the differences between the amounts of paper clips attracted to the electromagnet. 8. Repeat experiment 3 times for better results

Results

Example calculation of the average number of clips lifted for a current of 0.5 A N Average= n1 + n2 + n3 /3 = 1.0 + 1.0 + 1.0 / 3 = 1.0 clips

Analysis

Equation y = 1.1079x2 + 2.8786x - 0.3688

Conclusion The graph shows us if theres any change between the strength of the electromagnet. It is all about proving if the current affects the way this magnet works. By the numbers of paperclips lifted, we will know how the magnetic field strength changes. We realised that with more current, the strength will increase and take more paperclips, with less current, the strength will decrease and take less paperclips. This was all checked by the results of the graphs, comparing the amount of paperclips attracted to the magnet by changing different amount of amps in the power pack. As you can see increasing the current, will increase the magnetic field strength. Evaluation The way this experiment was measure was by collecting the paperclips in a certain spot and in another spot we add the ones lifted, which were our results to know the differences between the amps and the amount of paperclips lifted. Sources of error in my experiment were: sometimes the paperclips jumped and we lost some, affecting our results, so it wasnt really accurate, sometimes we had to repeat all over again due to this problem. These errors could be reduced by putting some instruments that fit all these paperclips in the same space, so we dont lose any or have more than the normal amount. Also we had to be careful with changing the amps, by increasing too much could heat and melt the electromagnet so we had to do it organize. At the end it was a great experiment, it went all right and we realized about the changes between the magnetic field and the current.