Electromagnetism

An electromagnet is a coil of wire wrapped around an iron core. Switch the current on and the core becomes a magnet. Switch it off and most of the magnetism goes with it, which is why electromagnets turn up in cranes, relays, door locks and electric bells.

For school projects there's the electromagnet school project kit with copper wire and a nail, and two starter circuit kits that include one. For Physical Sciences practicals you'll find enamelled copper wire for winding your own coils, C-cores and a magnetic field demonstrator.

Bar magnets, coils and iron filings laid out on a bench

What is an electromagnetic kit?

An electromagnetic kit brings together the apparatus used to explore magnetic fields produced by electric currents, electromagnetic induction and Faraday's law. These tools turn electric current into a controllable, switchable magnetic force.

SmartLabs stocks electromagnets, coiled wire and iron cores, horseshoe electromagnets with keepers, and magnetic field demonstrators. Every item is chosen to support CAPS-aligned Physical Sciences lessons on the principles behind motors, generators and modern electrical technology.

Common uses of an electromagnetic kit in the classroom

From simple wrapped-nail electromagnets to C-core induction experiments.

  • A nail wound with copper wire lifting paper clips as an electromagnet

    Building an Electromagnet

    Wrapping coiled wire around an iron nail and connecting it to a battery creates a simple electromagnet strong enough to lift paper clips, the classic introduction to electromagnetism.

  • A horseshoe electromagnet with copper windings and a steel keeper

    Electromagnet with Keeper

    A horseshoe electromagnet with a metal keeper bar shows how a coiled core concentrates magnetic force between two poles, a step up from a simple wrapped nail.

  • A copper coil wound on a C shaped iron core with crocodile clips

    C-Core Coils

    A C-shaped iron core with a wire winding demonstrates how core shape and material affect the strength of an electromagnetic field, used in induction and transformer experiments.

  • Iron filings forming field lines around a bar magnet on a plate

    Visualising Field Lines

    A magnetic field demonstrator with iron filings reveals the curved shape of a magnetic field around a magnet, connecting electromagnetism back to permanent magnet behaviour.

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