During physical science, Ms. Greene challenged her students to produce an energy transformation. James and Jill wrapped a 4-inch nail with a coil of fifty turns of wire. They connected one end of the coil to one terminal of a knife switch. They connected the other terminal of the knife switch to the battery. Finally, they connected the end of the coil to the other terminal of the battery. James held the tip of a 1-inch nail near the flat end of the 4-inch nail. Jill closed the knife switch quickly and then opened it. The 1-inch nail was pulled toward the 4-inch nail. James and Jill used a battery as a source of electricity to construct a(n) ______ that created ______ energy that caused the nail to move.
electromagnetic; magnetic
hold on
James and Jill used a battery as a source of electricity to construct a circuit that created electromagnetic energy that caused the nail to move.
To understand this energy transformation, we need to break down the steps involved:
1. James and Jill wrapped a coil of fifty turns of wire around a 4-inch nail. This creates a simple electromagnet, as the wire coil becomes magnetized when an electric current flows through it.
2. They connected one end of the wire coil to one terminal of a knife switch. The knife switch, when closed, completes the circuit and allows the electric current to flow.
3. They connected the other terminal of the knife switch to the battery. The battery acts as a source of electrical energy, providing the necessary potential difference to drive the electric current through the circuit.
4. Finally, they connected the other end of the wire coil to the other terminal of the battery, completing the circuit.
When Jill closed the knife switch, an electric current started to flow through the wire coil. This created a magnetic field around the coil, which then interacted with the magnetic field of the 1-inch nail held by James near the flat end of the 4-inch nail. This interaction between the magnetic fields produced a force that pulled the 1-inch nail towards the 4-inch nail.
Therefore, the energy transformation in this scenario is from electrical energy provided by the battery to electromagnetic energy in the form of the magnetic field that causes the nail to move.