A student built a simple electromagnet with copper wire, an iron bolt, and a 1.5-volt battery. The electromagnet was able to lift a paper clip from 3 centimeters away. Select three ways the student can increase the strength of his electromagnet.

Question

A.

He can use a thicker piece of copper wire.

B.

He can reverse the orientation of the battery.

C.

He can replace the iron bolt with a wooden rod.

D
.

He can add a switch between the battery and the iron bolt.

E
.

He can replace the 1.5-volt battery with a battery of higher voltage.

Answer 1

To increase the strength of the electromagnet, the student can take the following actions:

A. He can use a thicker piece of copper wire.
Using a thicker wire can reduce the resistance in the circuit, allowing more current to flow, which increases the strength of the electromagnet.

E. He can replace the 1.5-volt battery with a battery of higher voltage.
A higher voltage battery will increase the current flowing through the wire, thus increasing the magnetic field strength.

D. He can add a switch between the battery and the iron bolt.
While adding a switch won't directly increase the strength of the electromagnet, it can help in controlling the flow of current, allowing for experiments to find the optimal current for maximum strength.

Note: Option B (reversing the battery orientation) will not increase the strength of the electromagnet; it will only change the polarity of the magnet. Option C (replacing the iron bolt with a wooden rod) would actually decrease the strength, as wood is not magnetic.

Therefore, the best options to strengthen the electromagnet are A and E. Adding a switch (D) could be useful for control but does not directly augment strength.