Thin wooden dowel, thin aluminum rod (an aluminum bolt), thin brass rod (a brass bolt), thin steel rod (a steel bolt), ammeter, (multimeter) pieces of Styrofoam (packing material), a magnetic compass.

The thin rods and dowels will be used at cores for the electromagnet. The rods and dowels must be able to fit inside the bobbin core. An option would be to wind the extra lengths of enameled wire around the suggested optional material and not worry about the rod fitting into the hole in the bobbin. Students may compare how well each type of material works in picking up small nails. The optional materials may be compared with the iron cores provided in the kit.

The ammeter or multimeter should be used under the DIRECT supervision of the teacher or supervising adult. This will help avoid damage to the ammeter or multimeter.

The magnetic compass will be used to reproduce a classic experiment showing the how current flowing in a circuit effects a magnet. The magnetic compass from the Seibun Magnetic Fundamentals kit will work well.

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