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A group of students has been testing electromagnets in the lab. They made an electromagnet by wrapping copper wire around a nail. For one set of tests, they wrapped the wire around the nail 25 ×. For the second set of tests, they wrapped the wire around the nail 50 ×. They also have 4 different batteries: 1.5 V, 3.0 V, 4.5 V, and 6.0 V. They use their electromagnets to see how many paper clips each can pick up.

a) Bold: Testing Electromagnets in the Lab
b) Electromagnet Parameters
c) Experimental Setup
d) None of the above.

User Knutigro
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The student's question involves a physics experiment to understand electromagnets by varying wire turns and battery voltages to observe changes in magnetic strength. The PhET Explorations provides a simulation for further study of Faraday's law and magnetic interactions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding Electromagnets through Experimentation

It appears that the student's question relates to an experiment to investigate electromagnets. By wrapping a copper wire around a nail and varying the number of turns (25 and 50 turns), along with using different voltage batteries (1.5 V, 3.0 V, 4.5 V, and 6.0 V), students can observe changes in the electromagnet's strength by counting how many paper clips are picked up. This experimental approach is fundamentally rooted in Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction, which suggests that an electric current can be induced in a conductor by changing the magnetic field near the conductor.

Furthermore, a simulation provided by PhET Explorations allows students to further explore these concepts. By moving a bar magnet through a coil, or vice versa, one can observe the induced electromotive force (emf), as evidenced by the movement of electrons, the lighting of a bulb, or the deflection of a voltmeter needle. This interactive tool reinforces the same principles applied in the physical experiment with the electromagnet and paper clips.

Additional activities, such as rubbing a permanent bar magnet against a paperclip, help students comprehend the concept of magnetic fields and magnetic force, including attractive and repulsive forces between the magnetized paperclip and an untouched paperclip.

User Sashaboulouds
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