Question

20 of 2020 of 20 Items
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Question
Renaldo and Nasreen build an electromagnet by wrapping a wire around a nail and connecting the wire to both terminals of a battery. When they test the electromagnet, it can pick up 6 paper clips. Their teacher wants all groups to pick up at least 10 paper clips. What revisions could Renaldo and Nasreen make to increase the number of paper clips their electromagnet picks up?
Responses
A make the wire longermake the wire longer
B remove the nail from the center of the wireremove the nail from the center of the wire
C increase the number of loops of wire around the nailincrease the number of loops of wire around the nail
D spread the loops of wire apart on the nail so they do not touch

Answer 1

To increase the number of paper clips that the electromagnet can pick up, Renaldo and Nasreen should consider option **C: increase the number of loops of wire around the nail**.

Increasing the number of loops enhances the magnetic field strength produced by the wire, which can improve the electromagnet's ability to pick up more paper clips. Here’s a brief explanation of why the other options might not be as effective:

- **A: make the wire longer** - While longer wire may increase resistance, it does not necessarily increase the strength of the magnetic field unless more loops are added.

- **B: remove the nail from the center of the wire** - The nail serves as a core that amplifies the magnetic field. Removing it would decrease the strength of the electromagnet.

- **D: spread the loops of wire apart on the nail so they do not touch** - This could reduce the overall magnetic field strength, as more tightly packed loops create a stronger magnetic field.

Thus, increasing the number of loops (option C) is the most effective revision they can make.