Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi,
I am trying to build the electromagnet train that is in the youtube video "World's Simplest Electric Train." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9b0J29OzAU (please see the video so you can find out what I am doing wrong.) There aren't really directions, but this is what I did:

I used these materials:
50 feet of 18 gauge copper wire
package of 1/2 x 1/8 neodymium batteries
One AA battery

I coiled the wire by wrapping it around a pipe that was slightly larger than 1/2", but large enough for the battery to freely flow through. I wrapped it just as tightly as it is in the video.
I put 3 magnets on each end of the battery (to create the "train")
I tried giving the "train" a push to get it started, but it didn't do anything.

Thank you for helping.

An electric circuit has to be made between the battery ends - through the magnets and the wire. Did you use bare copper wire or is yours either insulated or enameled? The magnets probably have to be slightly bigger than the battery to make sure they touch the wire as well - and not painted or coated with anything.

I've never done this myself but it looks like a fun project. Thanks for sharing the video link and good luck getting yours to work!

Howard

Hi,

Sorry, but I still have some questions though. Which wire was I supposed to use? I got the bare copper wire. If I was supposed to use coated wire, how could the train run, because then the wire is insulated? (I know I could scrape off the ends when I make the wire into a circle, but I might make my track straight, like the video shows at first.) Also, the magnets I got say that they are Neodymium, but they are chipping, and it looks like the inside is plastic, but it is coated with the neodymium, but now I just read the details on Amazon's website that the magnets are nickel coated and axially magnetized, and they are N48 strength. Will these work? Thank you for helping me!

As I understand it, the complete circuit starts at one end of the battery, flows through the conductive metal magnet, through the coiled wire to the magnets at the other end of the battery, through those magnets and finally back the battery.

For that to work, the wire has to be bare and unpainted and the magnets have to be entirely metal and slightly bigger than the battery. As I said, I've never done this myself. I can't recommend any specific magnets. Stronger is better- the metal construction and size are more important. Current has to flow through them from the battery to the coil.

Hi Howard,

Thank you so much for your help. I will try again with different magnets.

my duaghter is working on this project for her science fair. she need help with her abstract and what to include on her written report. can she get some help please. thanks.

Hi sandratorres0412,

The Science Buddies Project Guide is an excellent place to get information about how to write an abstract and written report for a science fair project. Check out the two sections I link to below, and then post back with any other questions you have.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ract.shtml
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... port.shtml

If i increase battery voltage instead of strong magnet and use copper wire of a 6volt transformer then will the train work ?

If i increase battery voltage(5 button battery) instead of strong magnet then will the train work ?