knaffla@miller.cs.uwm.edu (Scott Knaffla) (01/23/91)
HELLO ALL, THIS IS MY FIRST POSTING SO PLEASE BEAR WITH. MY SISTER HAS TO DO A SCIENCE PROJECT AND I VOLUNTEERED TO HELP. HER SUBJECT IS JAMES MAXWELL. SHE MUST DO A SMALL PRESENTATION ON SOME OF HIS WORK. I SUGGESTED DEMONSTRATION CONSISTING OF A BATTERY, PIECE OF WIRE, SWITCH, AND IRON FILINGS. I PROCEEDED TO HOOK IT ALL UP. I HOOK UP A 6 VOLT LANTERN BATTERY TO THE SWITCH AND A PIECE OF SOLID 10 GAUGE WIRE BACK TO THE BATTERY. I PLACE THE WIRE THROUGH A PIECE OF CARD BOARD WITH IRON FILINGS SPRINKLED ON IT. CLOSING THE SWITCH I EXPECTED TO SEE THEN FILINGS FROM SOME CONCENTRIC CIRCLES FROM THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD GENERATED FROM THE BATTERY. TO MY SURPRISE NOTHING HAPPENED, I BROUGHT A MAGNET BY THE FILINGS AND THEY WERE ALL ATTRACTED TO IT. SHOULD I TRY A HIGHER VOLTAGE? (I.E. CONNECT SEVERAL BATTERIES IN SERIES) OR IS MY GAUGE OF WIRE WRONG? OR COULD IT BE THAT THE BATTERY ISN'T PRODUCING ENOUGH CURRENT? PLEASE MAIL ALL RELIES TO knaffla@miller.cs.uwm.edu SO AS NOT TO WASTE BANDWIDTH. ALL REPLIES WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED THANKS IN ADVANCE, SCOTT