Exploring Electromagnets: Understanding Vibration and Humming Phenomenon

In summary: Maybe it was the AC in the converter causing the humming. I think you would have to try it again with a different power source to be sure.3. There's no one answer to this - it's possible that it was all different things happening at once.
  • #1
Neight
15
0
Hello, I have a question from some playing i was doing with an electromagnet.
I made a simple electromagnet out of a nail and some small gauge wire (not sure of the gauge). I wrapped another nail with some un-insulated wire of the same gauge and left it un-connected to any power supply. I connected the insulated wire to a wall outlet that converted AC to 12v 800mA DC. I brought the head ends of the two wrapped nails together and got a vibration and heard a bit of humming. after a few minutes of playing with this the AC adapter burned out and produced a heavy ozone smell.
(sorry if this is a bit confusing, i am not really that good at explaining myself)
<=========I I============>
above is the orientation of the nails to each other if that helps at all. the red one is the hot wrapped insulated nail and the black is the cold un-insulated nail

(all that to say this) my question is - what was the vibration i felt between the nails and the humming noise. if i touched the nail heads together the vibration stopped and if they were too far apart it also stopped. i am guessing the humming may have been in the AC converter but i am not positive.

if clarification is needed please let me know. and thanks to anyone who can help me out!
 
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  • #2
maybe it was AC you were putting through the wire.

Was the wire coated with some insulation?
 
  • #3
no, i had actually stripped the insulation from the wire that was not connected. i was checking to see if there was a difference between an electromagnet wrapped with insulated wire and un-insulated. by chance the nearest thing i had to pick up was the nail i had wrapped with un-insulated. i actually didn't expect a reaction at all, just to see the nail stick to the magnet.

the power source was an AC to DC converter, so i suppose it was possible that it was already burning out and that there was AC powering the magnet. i know the converter is fried, i smelled the proof of that right away.

hope this clears it up, sorry again if my post was a bit confusing, i was trying to get to the point and not be too wordy
thanks
 
  • #4
ok, this whole post might have been me thinking too hard about this.
after taking some time to do something else and thinking more about it, i might have came up with an answer, but i would really like a bit of confirmation on this if possible.

is it possible that the magnetic field from the powered electromagnet sort of magnetized the non powered nail that was wrapped and basically wound up acting as two polar magnets with their like ends close to each other?

it would seem to be a simple enough result of the experiment, but i can't replicate it right now because it burned out my power source. which i would guess, in the scenario i am picturing here, that would be due to the resistance of the magnetic fields pushing against each other, putting too much load on the converter and burning it out.

i may or may not be way off here, i haven't done anything like this since high school and should really brush up on my physics.
 
  • #5
also, not sure if this matters either, but it popped in my head so i am posting it.
if you put the nail heads together like i did, the wires are wrapped in opposite direction to each other.
again, not sure if it counts for anything, just wanted to add anything that might be useful
thanks
 
  • #6
Wish I could help you, but I'm as stumped as you are.
 
  • #7
thanks I appreciate you taking the time to read it and try :)
I am guessing this is induction, but i am still not sure. will have to mess with it more when i get another power source to use for DC, see if i can replicate it.
still searching for a definite answer
 
  • #8
just wanted to get this back to the top of the list, cause i am still looking for an answer.
i watched a video about transformers that can act like an electromagnet with no power to them when another magnet moves close to it. i am guessing this is something of what was going on, but if anyone can please confirm the possibility of this or give me another option of what happened here, it would be very very appreciated
thanks
 
  • #9
1. AC to DC converters aren't necessarily perfect and I know the ones in my old school would still leave a trace element of AC (not quite perfectly smooth DC output) so you could have been putting a form of AC in.

2. Transformers hum and that's effectively what you had. Just a very poorly wired / running one.
 
  • #10
Thank you very much for the response jarednjames, that was really the only other option besides induction, so that gives me what i need i think.
btw, great quote in your signature line!
 
  • #11
By bringing the nail heads close together you created a transformer. With the bare, stripped wire of the second nail you've made a transformer with a shorted secondary. You effectively have one turn of wire around your transformer core with the ends tied together in a short. This causes the current in the insulated wire to increase, and seemingly blew out your wall wart.

Overloaded transformers hum.
 
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  • #12
Ok, the more i learn the more sense this all makes (sounds simple enough, right?). so, if both wires were insulated, essentially i would have stumbled on a way to make a working transformer, do i have that correct?
and if that does function as a transformer, how would i wire them together and into a circuit? put the positive at one end of one nail and the negative at the other end of the second nail, and connect them in the middle, or would i hook the ends of both nails together somehow and only put the power on one nail?
sorry for the beginner questions here, but i yam what i yam :)
 
  • #13
also (i should have said this first, but i was a bit sidetracked by this new bit of information) thank you very much for the input, i had looked it up, and thought that was a possibility, but i don't have a whole lot of faith in user submitted info online, (just cause someone sounds like they know what they are talking about, doesn't make it so) so it was nice to be able to come on here and get some answers :)
 
  • #14
Phrak said:
Overloaded transformers hum.

I am noting my official concern for the transformer near my house :bugeye:
 
  • #15
Neight said:
Ok, the more i learn the more sense this all makes (sounds simple enough, right?). so, if both wires were insulated, essentially i would have stumbled on a way to make a working transformer, do i have that correct?
and if that does function as a transformer, how would i wire them together and into a circuit? put the positive at one end of one nail and the negative at the other end of the second nail, and connect them in the middle, or would i hook the ends of both nails together somehow and only put the power on one nail?
sorry for the beginner questions here, but i yam what i yam :)

Be VERY careful. I'm not entirely sure what you're proposing but it sounds like you're going to short the circuit.

For a simple transformer, rap one wire around the iron core, and that gets plugged into the supply. Rap the second core with exactly the same number of turns as the first and this one you connect to a bulb - not a power supply and not to the other one.

All you do then is move them close together (so that they are parallel to each other) and the bulb should light up. There is no physical connection (wire) between the two parts.

Again, be very careful - you will need some sort of clamping devices to hold them close together.
 
  • #16
thanks for the warning :)
I am not playing with these things lightly, which is why i am here asking questions instead of just trying random things, i have a very healthy respect for electricity, we have disagreed in the past and it didn't end up with me on my feet :P
after playing with these two parts blew up my converter as fast as it did, i stopped playing with it and started looking for reasons. now that i have this new info on how that process is supposed to work i can file it away for a day when i know enough to try it.
thanks a ton for all the help on here, i have learned a bunch so far in this little surprise experiment. i just wanted to mess around with an electromagnet, i really didn't expect the two wrapped nails to do anything more than attract to each other. i move forward a little more knowledgeable and a lot more cautious :P
 
  • #17
Neight said:
Ok, the more i learn the more sense this all makes (sounds simple enough, right?). so, if both wires were insulated, essentially i would have stumbled on a way to make a working transformer, do i have that correct?

Yes, but not a very efficient one because the magnetic circuit is not closed. What I mean, is that the points of the nails are not connected to each other as well as the heads. The iron should form a continuous loop, but if not you still have a transformer.

and if that does function as a transformer, how would i wire them together and into a circuit?

Hook it up as you did before. The two wires from the second winding will have an AC voltage. You could measure the voltage with a volt meter or try touching them to a flashlight bulb.

put the positive at one end of one nail and the negative at the other end of the second nail, and connect them in the middle, or would i hook the ends of both nails together somehow and only put the power on one nail?
sorry for the beginner questions here, but i yam what i yam :)
 

1. What is an electromagnet?

An electromagnet is a type of magnet that is created by passing an electric current through a wire wrapped around a metal core. The electric current creates a magnetic field, which allows the electromagnet to attract or repel other objects like a regular magnet.

2. How does an electromagnet work?

An electromagnet works by leveraging the properties of electricity and magnetism. When an electric current flows through a wire, it creates a magnetic field around the wire. By coiling the wire around a metal core, the magnetic field is concentrated, making the electromagnet stronger. The strength of the electromagnet can be controlled by adjusting the amount of current flowing through the wire.

3. Why do electromagnets vibrate and hum?

Electromagnets vibrate and hum due to the alternating current passing through the wire. This causes the magnetic field to constantly change, which creates a force that pushes and pulls on the metal core. This movement of the metal core creates vibrations and produces a humming sound.

4. What are some practical applications of electromagnets?

Electromagnets have a wide range of practical applications. They are used in generators to produce electricity, in motors to convert electricity into mechanical energy, and in speakers to produce sound. They are also used in MRI machines, doorbells, magnetic levitation trains, and many other devices.

5. Can the strength of an electromagnet be increased?

Yes, the strength of an electromagnet can be increased by increasing the number of wire coils, using a stronger current, or using a stronger metal core. Additionally, using a ferromagnetic material as the core, such as iron or steel, can also increase the strength of the electromagnet.

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