At a glance
Electromagnetism is a 60 or 75 minute workshop for grades 7 to 10.
In four experiments, students observe how electromagnets work, understand induction and run an electric motor, before a final challenge: making Bob, our LEGO® figure, levitate. Doorbells, locks, speakers and maglev trains will hold no more secrets.
Doorbells, door locks, scrap-metal sorting, speakers and levitating trains… All examples of electromagnets! But how do they work?
Discover the lively relationship between magnets and electricity.
In this workshop, students pull off technical feats in 4 experiments that reveal how electromagnets become magnetic.
They understand induction and get an electric motor running in a shower of sparks!
A little challenge to finish:
Give a warm welcome to Bob, our LEGO® figure who levitates just for you, and find out how to turn a generator into an electric motor!
Learning goals (elementary)
- Understand the basics of electricity.
- Tell a magnet from an electromagnet (induction).
- Identify situations where magnets are used.
- Describe how energy changes from one form to another (for example, hydraulic energy to electricity).
- Identify objects that use electromagnetism.
- Recognize the effects of magnetism in magnets (attraction or repulsion).
- Use the parts of a simple circuit (wire, power source, bulb, switch).
Learning goals (secondary)
- Understand how an electromagnet works.
- Describe the magnetic field around a wire carrying current.
- Describe the magnetic field produced by a solenoid.
- Compare how a compass behaves in a magnet’s field and in the field created by a current-carrying wire.
- Name ways to change the strength of a solenoid’s magnetic field (core material, current, number of turns).
- Explain how solenoids are used in technology (for example, earphones, electric motors, magnetic cranes).
