How Adding Coils Affects an Electromagnet's Strength

Next Generation Science

This educational video provides a clear, step-by-step demonstration on how to construct a simple electromagnet using basic materials: a battery, wire with alligator clips, and a metal nail. The video uses clean, distinct 2D animations to visualize the assembly process, showing exactly how to connect the circuit and coil the wire around the nail to create a magnetic field capable of picking up paperclips. The content moves beyond simple construction by introducing the scientific method and variable testing. It explicitly asks viewers to predict the effect of adding more coils of wire to the nail. It then demonstrates the result—that increasing the number of coils increases the magnetic force, allowing the magnet to pick up more paperclips—visually reinforcing the relationship between the number of turns in a solenoid and magnetic field strength. For educators, this video serves as an excellent introduction to electricity and magnetism units. It functions well as a pre-lab primer before students build their own electromagnets, or as a virtual demonstration for classrooms lacking materials. The built-in pause points for prediction make it an interactive tool for discussing independent variables (number of coils) and dependent variables (strength of magnet/number of clips held).