Magnets vs. Electromagnets

S5P3 Students will investigate the electricity, magnetism and their relationship. 
d. Compare a bar magnet to an electromagnet. 

Bar Magnets vs. Electromagnets

Here are a few key things to remember about magnetism:

• Bar magnets maintain a constant magnetic pull.
• Electromagnets can be turned on or off (this is what makes them so useful in creating simple motors).
• Opposite magnetic poles attract and similar magnetic poles repel each other.

For further questions and inquiries please visit www.explainthatstuff.com or for some more advanced information visit www.neok12.com. Then once you've completed your studies, made your own electromagnet and watched the videos, you might want to try out this magnetism and electromagnet quiz.


Additional Sites:

• StudyJams magnetism slideshow and quiz
• You can visit the site linked here to experiment with an electromagnet and see how various materials affect the strength of an electromagnet.
  
• You can visit an interactive picture which shows permanent magnets and electromagnets in action.
• Compete in a game in which you must determine how many coils and batteries are necessary to lift the assigned number of paperclips.