A girl is trying to make a simple electromagnet to help her pick up a piece of metal she dropped under a car. Which list of materials would she need to make an electromagnet?

Question

metal rod for a core, copper wire, 12-volt battery
glass rod for a core, copper wire, 12-volt battery
plastic rod for a core, copper wire, 12-volt battery
wooden rod for a core, copper wire, 12-volt battery

Answer 1

To make a simple electromagnet, the girl would need a metal rod for a core, along with copper wire and a 12-volt battery.

So, the correct materials would be:

Metal rod for a core, copper wire, 12-volt battery

Using a metal rod (like iron) enhances the magnetic field created by the current flowing through the copper wire. The other options (glass, plastic, or wooden rods) would not work effectively as cores for an electromagnet.