How to Make an Electromagnet

[jayejayeee]

very interesting thanks

[MrBrucebracey]

interesting video and very informative

[manman2436]

thumbs up i u watched this to help on homework

[osclarkos]

you have some great stuff here

[SuperDogbrown]

Very enjoyable thank you

[TheLionRichard]

Can you use these kind of magnets to create a DC motor? Or does it have to be ceramic ones.

[Markwinsige]

thanks i am going to make this for my science project

[eloquis]

I tried this but I think I burned the battery, why is that?

[newtechnologies5]

cool i am totally going to try this.

[nikkilify]

ther bana ki ~~~~~~

[CrUsHeR2050]

Good man, really awesome

[TheMuslimninja1]

IS THIS NOT A SHORT PATH . I MEAN SHORT CIRCUIT . ?

[snakev10v5]

@TheMuslimninja1 Good question, I don't think so because you are using the power to make the electromagnetic feild. ( I know I probs spellt that wrong )

[chungvinman]

if i were to tape copper wire to each end of the 9v battery with electrical tape, would this still work?

[Rawrmonster9393]

say.. ur parents have a camera outside ur house n u wna sneak out.. can u make one like this thatll scramble the frequency so i can b unseen? and if so. how much wire and metal and voltage of battery should i use??

[MrJetWave]

how strong does this get?

[SuperVeshi]

@100roberthenry lol i got a slight idea why

[OKMUNWURX]

What ever gauge of copper wire used to make the coil, use 66 feet per volt. For one D cell, use 100 feet . To not over drain the battery use # 28 wire. If using a car battery or a radio power supply you can use #14 gauge, but you will need 900 feet of wire... a bit expensive. If using a Cyclon gel cell (2.1 volts, 5 to 25 Ahr size) use 140 feet of #26 or #24 wire. The use of that much wire avoids overheating the coil.

[MultiZedman]

hi there i was curious about making electric static gauntlets/ gloves would they be possible to make and would they safe after trial runs

[gr33nvisi0n]

@grukora i built one yesterday and i played arround with it for a while. I found out that the magnet was stronger when the wire of the inductor was thicker. Thicker wire=less resistance=more amps. I also tried different batteries: when i powered it with a 9V batterie it was able to lift 1nut. Then i used one of these fat 1,5Vs and it hardly lift up to 3 nuts. With 2 AA (both 1,5V) it could lift 4+ nuts. I dont know if thats correct but here you go.

[grukora]

Ive got a question for you , in an electromagnet what would increase the flux of the magnet? amps or voltage.

[waldenhouse]

If using a switch, can it be left "on" for a long period of time, or would I have to try and work out the drain on the battery/short of the circuit?

[100roberthenry]

..i was thinking of using a 555 timer to turn a magnet on/off with variable speed pot..with led speed indicator too...dont ask why lol.. :P... btw...is that a 1.5v battery...?

[pamukdilara5]

we did this in our science class with our groups, i was the person holding the wire and the wire burned my hand! :(

[jeffddow]

if the wire isnt insulated youre just shorting the circuit the power goes from the battery back to itself

[The3XpL0D]

I did this and it didn't work.Probably because the I used a big nail and it was nickelated.

[PortmanPro]

thank you so much for this, this video got me a 6 at my school (6 = A in norway) + all i had to do was show this video :D god i love youtube, and i love you!

[slait100]

does all of it have to be insulated

answer me quickly

[TheBlacksabbathfan9]

Kool but my copper wire is about the thickness of regular pencil lead and im using a screwdriver instead of that metal dowel and a d battery but not working oh and the wire is insulated

[67tr876]

Can AC power do this too or no ?

[williest1]

Okay, to all - my 9yo son and I used a D-Cell battery and wrapped our wire around a 4in screw. We used solid hard copper wire instead of the reg bundle wire.IT WORKED PERFECTLY! We wrapped the screw apro 20x and were able to pick up tiny screws, nails, paper clips, etc.... Then we connected the wire ends with reg soft wire to a small on/off switch. cutting the power on/off regulates the battery usage. Video demo reply to follow soon. GL to all!

[williest1]

what is that battery case and where can i get one? for my 9yo son science project. thanx! :0)

[BlackNeko95]

ok it was sure cool, but if it are just pictures that u r showing us, why did you put ur picture it was weird!!!

[midaasjamidamida]

how is this possible? i did it other way, i took 4 battery slot and placed 4 batteries in and i have made coil, but its not working, the slots were starting to smoke, but it didnt work.

[bowenrechner]

how strong is this current?

[cowgoesmoo2]

When you wrap the wire around the object, would it still work if they are insulated against the object, but not insulated to the other wires?

[leesuhtranlay]

can u use a double a battery?

[furyberserk]

Since any metal (my physics teacher said) is generally a sea of electrons, could I use aluminum foil instead of a wire?

[BOSTANANDREI]

current travells from - to + btw

[uberhacker1]

I made mine with a car battery and it almost ripped my bike keys through my gut

[AwesomeSuperSauce]

Well there is one way it could be bad without insulation, its easy to overheat while the battery is on, so from what i know, The result could be shocking, or Firey!

[Ciaran55]

wouldn't this short-circuit the battery though? Should I put some resistors before the positive terminal? oh and, is it the iron core that can be used to pick up metal objects, or is it the wire itself

[miklonish]

@Ciaran55 yeah thats what im thinking aswell. That may be a short circuit, if you leave it long enough it would create so much heat the shilack may burn off (wire insulator) and the copper may melt onto the battery eventually ruining the battery.

[Ciaran55]

I wonder how the electromagnets at scrap heaps manage to work then.. is there a way of turning magnetism into electricity?

[jr7495]

I have an alternator, and i whant to lower the voltage, wich is give me 60 volts. Do you know what i need to do to get only 12 volts? Please help me.

[horndog2224]

what would i be able to pick up if i used a car battery



[Patsik]

Will the nail remain magnetic if you loosen the wire?

If not, you can switch it on and off?

[fragglesparky]

question,since you are directly connecting the wire from positive to negative would the battery short out?

[FofizzleMeNizzle]

Im going to make a mini rc plane but can i use this with a magnet so when i put electricity in to the wire it pushes the magnet and if i reverse the current will it attract the magnet? it would look kind of like hydraulics with a shaft connected to the magnet but would this be able to move the rudder or ailerons?

[satawesome]

hi, i like this kind of gadget and been intrested in electromagnets.levelation device, tesla coils, but i was wondering how do i build a electromagnet levelation device . im intrested in this and now im planing to do it for physics... can you help me out

[IsthmusCrypticus]

Hi, im kinda new to energy and its uses. But just from watching this i do have a question (which to many here is probably a real easy question perhaps). When you put in the iron core does that become magnetic because with the coil of electrons flowing around it in the one direction, the particles of the rod line up so that you have continuous flow of energy rather than it being broken by displaced particles? Which then creates its own magnetic field?

[juinnano]

What are the risks if we use uninsulated wire? Will it be safe?

[Satanaratic]

fuckin magnets, how do they work?

[mikeyshadow2]

this makes a shortcircuit when i try it, any problems?

[363jik]

can you make a larger electric magnet?

[Antardrews]

@363jik Yes you can. You can wrap the wire more times arround your metal (for example iron) so the magnet will be stronger

[elel70]

Is this how an induction heater works?

[imahavedat]

What if i want to make a powerful electromagnet, strong enough to destroy electronic devices, such as computer hard drives/circuits, telephone exchanges? If i used a car battery, a large gauge naked copper wire coiled around a thick iron bar, all in my school backpack, will this be sufficient??

Great video.

[BaltoMovie]

What if the core is an actually magnet instead of iron

Will it be stronger or weaker

[BaltoMovie]

Does the voltage matter

[hellow533]

@BaltoMovie higher voltage = stronger magnet, my electro magnet can pick up a 3 pound weight with a 9 volt battery...

[hellow533]

@BaltoMovie sorry, ment to say 6 volt..

[jonest6151]

wow, your name is jose sanchez?

i don't think that there is a more stereotypical name....

[yyykkll]

thanks it is really helpful

[neutrogenije]

thanks for the vid, but i need a biger electro magnet

[deoxy95]

@neutrogenije try a car battery or two

[andy152152]

thanks! i needed this for school!

[JoshuaNicoll]

HELP, I have 18 volts and still cant make a coil gun =(

[qrlasers]

my battery shorts out help :(

[ForrestGump716]

use 2 batteries instead of one and put them in a series like this

l+-ll+-l

Those are batteries and connect the wires to the positive and negative ends. I did this earlier in the year.

[qrlasers]

@ForrestGump716 thanks my batterys spit acid and I have burns!

[237wally]

a battery holder is the white thing

[PokemonMulti]

hey thxs.this should help for my science project.

[PetesProductions]

ur smart (y)

[shadowclaw46]

Hey whats that white thing that you put the battery in called? I'm trying to make an electromagnet for a science project and I need somthing that will hold the wires in place. Please reply as soon as you can.

[pudgeya1]

@shadowclaw46 just tape them on there but cut the positive and strip the wire and when you want to turn it on just connect them

[Brianshvrs]

I'm thinking about doing this with a 9v battery with probably about 100 turns with 17awg steel wire. The wire is uninsulated, is this bad to do?

[nhmfl]

The wire should be insulated.

Jose Sanchez

[ForrestGump716]

the wire and battery will get hot if not insulated

[OKMUNWURX]

@Brianshvrs I would suggest , if using a 9 volt battery, using 600 feet of #38 to #44 wire. Just wind it all on a 1/4 " diameter iron or steel rod ( or big nail). Otherwise, if using one D cell battery use 100 feet of #28 wire. These lengths are to not over heat the coil or over burden the battery. It boils down to 66' per volt for copper wire operating at continuous operation..

[Sandfirestar]

What if my copper wire isn't insulated? Will it be bad?

[alvinlalala]

yes it will be VERY bad.

[Sandfirestar]

I did it without it insulated, and it didn't do anything to its surroundings, *visibly* and it didn't even burn through the duct tape. :/

[nhmfl]

The wire should be insulated.

Jose Sanchez

[EpicXI]

@nhmfl Mr. Sanchez:

what is that cradle that the battery is sitting in? and could i (in theory) use a car battery? instead of a AA?

[chidorivsresengan]

@Sandfirestar I think it will electrocute you if you touched the wire

[PureInsanity00]

@Sandfirestar There will not be a magnetic field, because the current will go straight across through the touching wire

[electropentatonic]

@Sandfirestar If wire isn't insulated. It will not create a coil, it will simply short straight thru the coil

[Sandfirestar]

Can I use duct tape to hold the copper wire connected to the battery? I don't have that thing that you have on the battery. Please reply, I'm doing it for an expirement soon!

[mofogeezer]

if you used an actual magnet like ferrite instead of iron as the core would that make it even more magnetic?

[nhmfl]

If you use soft iron (not soft physically but soft magnetically) then the soft iron core would be stronger that if you used a magnet as a core. You also have to align the magnetic north of the magnet with the magnetic north of the coil (that depends on the direction of the current). (more ....)

[nhmfl]

(continued) You could technically demagnetize something if that is reversed in essence canceling the field. In our demo we used hard iron which does not magnetize easily and does not stay magnetized easily. I hope that answers the question. Jose Sanchez

[AmericanREPUBLICNow]

Could you tell me how to make a very strong electromagnet so I can wipe hard drives? I basically want to destroy all info on them when people donate old drives to me for recycling.

[WithTheDmeister]

well just use a bigger iron core (the metal bar in the video) and wrap a lot of copper wire arround it and use a more powerfull batterry but be carefull.

[ralfytm]

how do you know witch is the electromagnetic south and nord pole?

[sth00]

In general, yes nails are softer steel (less carbon) than bolts. Or you can saw the handle off of a cast iron frying pan.

[down0041]

sth - Thanks for the reply and suggestions!

td

[nhmfl]

(response to down0041, continued)

Do this outside, stand back, with gloves, safety glasses and be very very careful. If you are using a lantern battery be prepared to have a lot of them on hand since they will run dry quickly for the larger wire diameter.

--Scott Hannahs, NHMFL

[down0041]

Hi Scott - thanks so much for your reply, and taking the time to cover the specifics. I will try your recommendations, and heed your warning to be cautious...

One curiosity question. I have used steel bolts in the past, but someone pointed out that these are hardened steel.

You recommend a large nail. In general, are nails a softer iron than bolts?

Just curious.

Thanks again for your helpful response.

Regards,

Tom D / MN

[nhmfl]

(response to down0041, continued)

To get a core, go get the biggest diameter nail you can find at the hardware store. I doubt you will be able to physically wrap the 0000 AWG cable around anything smaller than a truck. Depending on your battery (ie a good 6V motorcycle battery won't limit current as much as a lantern battery) you can probably melt the copper and possibly overheat the battery which can explode.

(continued ...)

[nhmfl]

(response to down0041, continued)

6V - 3.5 A => 20 m of 24 AWG 21 watts (start with this)

6V - 11 A => 16 m of 20 AWG 66 watts

6V - 22 A => 20 m of 16 AWG 132 watts (try this)

6V - 55 A = > 33m of 10 AWG 330 watts (really hot!)

6V-380 A => 98 m of 0000 AWG 1330 watts (toaster oven)

(continued ....)

[nhmfl]

(response to down0041, continued)

As noted in this thread, it gets hot! If you make the length to maximize the power, the thicker the wire, the hotter it will get. (thinner wire will be safer) More copper gives more current which will make more field! It just gets hotter and your battery may only last for a few minutes.

(continued...)

[sth00]

Depending on how you wind it you need to cram as much power into as little space as possible without burning your insulation. Start with some 20 AWG copper wire and experiment with different wraps (multi layer, single layer) etc. Try slightly larger or smaller to optimize your design for your specific battery, insulation etc.

[down0041]

sth00 - thank you for your replies. I don't mean to be labor the point, but I really am looking for specifics. I realize there are a number of variables. I truly hope that someone can give me a practical suggestion as to an EFFECTIVE electromagnet, starting from a 6 volt battery.

- What to use for core? (Bolt from hardware store is hardened steel. Where find soft metal core?

- Gauge of magnet wire.

- Wraps (proportion of core dia?)

Any specific suggestions appreciated.

Thanks!

[nhmfl]

First we assume that your battery has zero internal resistance.

length = voltage/max current *1/(resistance/length)

so use 20 m of 16 AWG (132 watts) but you might want to be careful of the insulation catching on fire or your battery burning out. You can get higher field by thicker wire but it will be even hotter and quicker so have fun but be careful!

(continuedt ...)

[sth00]

Wrapping turns on top as a multilayer system will give more field, but trap the heat inside the coil causing it to overheat and burn the insulation. The hotter you can run it, the better. For fixed voltage he field that is produced will be roughly proportional to the diameter of the wire so large wire is better. The power consumed (ie the heating) is proportional to the diameter squared so don't make it too big. It will also suck your batter dry much much quicker.

[sth00]

You can get the wire at radio shack or other supply houses such as mouser electronics, digikey, newark, allied electronics. Look for "insulated magnet wire"

The field is proportional to the current times the number of turns along a fixed length. If the wire is small you get more turns but the current will decrease as the resistance gets large. If the resistance is too small the current will get large and the power will melt the wire.

[sth00]

@down0041

This is a complex problem and not completely defined by merely the voltage of your battery. There is also a maximum amount of current that the battery can put out due to internal resistance. Lets assume this is small, which is usually true.

The core is best made out of a mild steel (or pure iron if you can get it). If you want to go all out dsyprosium or holmium are better but a tad more pricey. :-)

[down0041]

There are tons of postings on the internet that show the simple electro magnet in your video. What I have yet to find is the following:

Please recommend specifically the best combination of magnet wire (what gauge, how many winds), and the best iron core (what diameter), to make the most powerful magnet using a standard 6 volt lantern battery. I have searched the internet, and cannot find anyone that can answer this question.

So Magnet Laboratory? Can you do it?

Tom D/ Teacher

[nhmfl]

The thinner the wire the more winds you can add to the coil. Also, the smaller the radius of the core, the stronger your magnetic field.

So technically an infinitely thin wire and an infinitely thin iron core would maximize your magnetic field strength.

Hope that helps

Jose Sanchez

[down0041]

nhmfl - thank you for your reply. You haven't quite got my question though. Surely someone can tell me a good combination of 1) wire gauge 2) number of wraps 3) core diameter and 4) what to use for a core. Again, the one set parameter is that my current source is a 6 volt lantern battery. 

Too tough a question for nhmfl? Please let me know.

Thanks,

td

[yelton7]

ummm I tried this and the wires got really hot, maybe I needed a higher gage wire...

[bloodgenius1993]

u sound like the house hold hacker guy

[HopAlong23]

Wouldn't this also short out the battery?

[YuGiOhDeckmaster]

no it doesent. i dont know why but ive tried this

[Calliber50]

Yes it does, but small batteries aren't that dangerous. They can only put out so much current. So the battery will get hot if you leave it connected for too long. I've tried building a transformer and I tested it on a wall socket. It pulled about 300 amps before the circuit breaker gave out. I wouldn't recommend trying this on a car battery since those can produce a lot of current and can cause the battery to explode or the wire to burn.

[personalfunfest]

fake - not real, not true

[kikaimaster]

Why? you're just saying stupid shit if you're not supporting your statement.

and don't say " CUAS IT IZ NOT POSIBLE HURR DURR"

Yes it is.

[onthetableproduction]

you are really stupid. i did this IN A SECOND GRADE SCIENCE FAIR. retard.

[PunBB]

Can you do it with a steel wire?t

[josesanchez1989]

Yes it can be done with any conductor

[antilongleggedmacks]

mmmmm sexy

[VivaPotatoes]

where can i get the thing that holds the batery

[deathreaper1996]

how do u make an emp

[HopAlong23]

nukes

[0Iesent0]

very nice video.

Where can i find a wire like that? like.. for example in a normal household situation

[ultrastupido]

so... where do you get a wire like that? oh and, nice video.

[nhmfl]

Copper wire can be found at just about any store. The type of wire, the materials of the wire, and the gauge of the wire, as well as the temperature of the wire are all variables that will affect how well the electromagnet works.

[SucceedsAtWill]

seriously? copper wire? find a chord to something you don't want and rip it off

[lolAaronp]

shocking

[Snoopchicken]

actually, the current is from +ve to -ve. the electrons are from -ve to +ve (galvanic cell)

[ilikechickenwingguy]

hello this is cool video make it more powerful

[ilikechickenwingguy]

cool vid buut make it more powerful

[nhmfl]

Thanks for your comments. What is shown is the direction of conventional flow of electrical current, which is from positive to negative. Electrons do flow from negative to positive, but since Benjamin Franklin, the convention has been that electrical current flows from positive to negative.

[davidintaipei]

xfire is right. Electrons flow from the negative to positive terminal.

[crevice64]

its a ok video but the current shown is going the wrong way.

[xFireSquirrelx]

nice video