Help making an Electromagnet

[mgiddy911]

I am working on a physics project, and I need to build a strong electro magnet. I have previously made many real weak ones simply by coiling wire around a nail and conecting it to a AA battery(1.5V). Can anyone help me make a stronger version. I tried using a powersupply from an old computer, it plugged into a 120 V wall outlet and converted AC to DC with outputs +5V, -5V, +12V and -12V. so I took the 12 and -12 leads and stripped them and connected them to a wire coiled around an iron pipe. however the powersupply then wouldn't kick on, as if a safety feature was preventing it, as soon as I disconnected one of the wires it would kick on, but then i didn't have an electromagnet. My idea was to use the 12 volt leads and transform them to high voltage low current to be safer, but for now I was just using the 12V as is. ONe idea my dad gave me was that possibly I need some resistance for the powersupply to work, so adding some resistors in series before the wire coil may work?

So I need some instruction on making a much stronger electromagnet.
Any help or weblinks would be appreciated

 

[mgiddy911]

could someone atleast give me some insight into what makes an electromagnet stronger, some of the things i know are the number of turns of wire in the magnet, as well as the current or voltage applied to it.
The reason i wanted to do it without just using batteries is because i didn't want to just have to connect 20 batteries together to get a high voltage. Maybe using the computer powersupply isn't possible however, again I cut the wires of one of the outputs that would connect to a hard drive, there are +12V, +5V, -5V, -12V. I connected one end of the wire coil to the +12 and one to the -12, am i going about this wrong, is there a different way i should be using this power supply, should I be connecting one end to the +12V and grounding the other?

Any help would be great, this project is becomming evermore tedious

 

[thepatientmental]

To make a stronger electromagnet, you can try the following steps:

1. Choose a suitable core material: Iron is a good choice for a core material as it is highly magnetic. You can use an iron bar or pipe for your electromagnet.

2. Increase the number of coils: The more coils you have, the stronger the magnetic field will be. You can wind the wire around the iron core multiple times to increase the number of coils.

3. Use thicker wire: Thicker wire has lower resistance, which means it can handle more current and produce a stronger magnetic field. You can try using a thicker gauge wire for your electromagnet.

4. Increase the voltage: As you have already tried, increasing the voltage can also make the electromagnet stronger. However, make sure to use a power supply that can handle the increased voltage and current.

5. Add a ferromagnetic material: You can also enhance the strength of your electromagnet by adding a ferromagnetic material, such as iron filings or small magnets, to the core. This will help concentrate the magnetic field and make it stronger.

6. Use a switch: Instead of directly connecting the wires to the power supply, you can use a switch to turn the power on and off. This will prevent the power supply from shutting off due to overload and also save energy.

7. Use resistors: As your dad suggested, adding resistors in series with the wire coil can help regulate the current and prevent the power supply from shutting off. You can try experimenting with different values of resistors to find the optimal strength for your electromagnet.

Here are some additional tips:

- Make sure to use insulated wire to avoid short circuits.
- Use a power supply with adjustable voltage and current settings, if possible.
- Be cautious when working with high voltages and currents. Wear safety gloves and goggles.
- You can also refer to online tutorials or videos for more detailed instructions on making electromagnets. Good luck with your project!