Question

Ryan is experimenting with core materials for an electromagnet. He slides different core materials through a coil of current-carrying wire. Sort the core materials based on whether they will or won't increase the strength of Ryan's electromagnet.

1) Wood
2) Steel
3) Silver
4) Nickel
5) Iron
6) Glass

Answer 1

Ferromagnetic materials such as Steel, Iron, and Nickel will increase the strength of an electromagnet. Non-ferromagnetic materials like Wood, Glass, and Silver will not enhance the electromagnet's strength.

Step-by-step explanation:

Ryan is experimenting with how different core materials for an electromagnet affect its strength. When Ryan slides different core materials through a coil of current-carrying wire, materials that are ferromagnetic will significantly increase the strength of the electromagnet. Ferromagnetic materials like iron, nickel, and steel (which contains iron), contain domains of aligned atoms which act like small magnets and can be induced to enhance the magnetic field created by the coil. In contrast, materials like wood and glass don't have this property and won't increase the electromagnet's strength.

• Core materials that will increase the strength of the electromagnet: Steel, Nickel, Iron
• Core materials that won't increase the strength of the electromagnet: Wood, Glass, Silver

Silver, despite being a metal, is not a ferromagnetic material and will not have a significant effect on the strength of the electromagnet compared to ferromagnetic materials.