Ok, so I have begun making my first electromagnet today. After I have made a few basic electromagnets and understand the principles behind them, I will embark on another project, a pendulum that is allowed perpetual motion thanks to these magnets.
For my first step I attempted to wrap some thin enameled wire (that I thought was copper) around several objects that I believed to be iron. I did this because an iron object with round copper wire around it produces an electromagnet once current is run through it. Its a pretty basic concept, so I started off with some nails I found lying around the house and some wire I found lying in a box. Looked copper to me!
For about a half hour I ran wire around several test nails, each varying in density of coil and size of nail and length of wire. Each one returned no results. I tested the functionality of the 9V battery I was using by running some aluminum wire across the top of both connectors on it and touching it, the current was working fine.
At this point I realized the wire I'm using clearly isn't conducting the current as I tried performing this same test (running wire cross the + and - side of the battery) and no current flowed though. The local electronics store is closed at this hour, so I will stop this journal here and continue tomorrow after I pick up some copper wire =D.
For my first step I attempted to wrap some thin enameled wire (that I thought was copper) around several objects that I believed to be iron. I did this because an iron object with round copper wire around it produces an electromagnet once current is run through it. Its a pretty basic concept, so I started off with some nails I found lying around the house and some wire I found lying in a box. Looked copper to me!
For about a half hour I ran wire around several test nails, each varying in density of coil and size of nail and length of wire. Each one returned no results. I tested the functionality of the 9V battery I was using by running some aluminum wire across the top of both connectors on it and touching it, the current was working fine.
At this point I realized the wire I'm using clearly isn't conducting the current as I tried performing this same test (running wire cross the + and - side of the battery) and no current flowed though. The local electronics store is closed at this hour, so I will stop this journal here and continue tomorrow after I pick up some copper wire =D.
