{"product_id":"build-an-electromagnet","title":"Build an Electromagnet","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eWind insulated copper wire around an iron nail, connect it to a 9V battery, and watch a plain steel spike start pulling paper clips off the table. Oersted's 1820 discovery, recreated in your kitchen with a spool of magnet wire. This experiment explores electromagnetism and Ampere's Law, the same physics behind electric motors, MRI machines, speakers, maglev trains, and every hard drive read head ever made. Students wind and test coils at 20, 40, and 60 turns to see whether lifting strength scales linearly with turns, swap in a steel nail and a wooden dowel to isolate the core's contribution from the coil's, and time how long residual magnetism lingers after the battery disconnects. Every trial produces an immediate, countable result — clips lifted and every result traces back to a clean, testable equation. This is hands-on electromagnetism that connects circuits, materials science, and engineering design in a single hour-long build.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's Included\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"auto\" class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eIron nail, 3–4 inch — the ferromagnetic core\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eSteel nail, same size — for core material comparison\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eMagnet wire, 26 AWG, ~1.5m — enamel-coated for tight, consistent coils\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e9V battery — for safe, repeatable connections\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e2x alligator clips\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003ePaper clips × 25 — test objects for measuring lift strength\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eSandpaper — for stripping enamel from wire ends\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003ePrinted worksheet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou Provide\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"auto\" class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eRuler or tape measure\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eScissors or wire strippers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eStopwatch or phone timer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eWooden dowel or pencil (for air-core comparison)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e♻ Waste Disposal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRating: Easy\u003cbr\u003eNail, wire, and paper clips are fully reusable. Unwind the coil and store it for future builds. Copper wire and steel\/iron nails can go to metal recycling if discarded. The one exception is the 9V battery: don't toss it in regular trash, since it contains heavy metals. Most hardware and electronics stores take batteries back for free recycling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCurriculum Connections\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"auto\" class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eNGSS HS-PS2-5 \/ MS-PS2-3 — Evidence that fields exist between objects without contact\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eNGSS HS-ETS1-2 \/ HS-ETS1-4 — Design optimization through systematic variable testing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eAP Physics C, Unit 11 — Ampere's Law, solenoid fields, ferromagnetism, back-EMF\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eIB Physics Topic 5 \/ Topic 12 — Magnetic fields from currents, hysteresis at HL\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eCommon Core HSA-CED \/ HSF-LE — Testing and graphing a linear relationship (B ∝ N)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"The Alchemist Experience","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52558949089562,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0951\/6403\/9450\/files\/FullSizeRender.heic?v=1784600859","url":"https:\/\/thealchemistexperience.shop\/products\/build-an-electromagnet","provider":"The Alchemist Experience","version":"1.0","type":"link"}