Oersted's Discovery
Who was the scientist who discovered that electric current can affect a compass needle?
Hans Christian Oersted
What is the invisible area around a magnet where magnetic forces act called?
Magnetic Field
What is the flow of electricity through a wire called?
Electric current
What is a magnet that can be turned on and off using electricity called?
Electromagnet
What is one way to make an electromagnet stronger?
Add more coils of water
In what year did Oersted make his discovery?
1820
Does a copper wire create a magnetic field electric current when no current is flowing?
No
What device supplied electricity in Oersted's experiment?
Battery
Name one material that can be used as the core of an electromagnet?
Iron or steel
What type of core can make an electromagnet stronger?
It rotated or moved
What forms around a wire when electric current flows through it?
Magnetic Field
What must happen to a circuit for electric current to flow?
The circuit must be closed or complete
What two main things are needed to make a simple electromagnet?
Besides adding more coils, what is another way to strengthen an electromagnet?
Increase the electric current flowing through the wire
What did Oersted's experiment show about electricity and magnetism?
Electricity and magnetism are connected
What happens when the magnetic fields from two nearby coils of current-carrying wire combine?
The overall magnetic field becomes stronger
What happens to the electric current when a switch opens the circuit?
The current stops flowing
What happens to an electromagnets magnetic field when the electric current stops?
The magnetic field created by the current dissappears
In which direction should all the wire coils be wound around the core?
The same direction
Why was Oersted's discovery important to science?
Why does wrapping wire into a coil create a stronger magnetic field than using a straight wire?
The magnetic fields from the loops add together
How can you use a compass to test whether electric current is flowing through a nearby wire?
To bring the compass near the wire and observe whether the needle moves
Why must the wire used to make an electromagnetic be insulated?
An electromagnet picks up only two paper clips. Name two changes that could help it pick up more.
Adding more coils of wire and increasing the electric current within safe limits