Another question on magnetism

[aommaster]

Is there a way of making a VERY STRONG magnet, probably saturated, at home.
If there is, please give complete details

[YT2095]

not without using considerable electrical charges and a huge capacitor bank.
I have done it in the past as an experiment, casting thermite in an existing magnetic feild using the 2 ring magnets from an old magnetron out of a broken Microwave. It worked well, but looked nothing like a usable magnet :)
If you have a broken old hard drive, strip that down, and you`ll find 2 beautiful NIB magnets in there, they`re about the strongest comercialy available magnets your ever likely to get your hands on, be very carefull with them though, because when they stick together, they WILL pinch you! and extremely difficult to get of a fridge door once stuck :)

[Sayonara³]

HD magnets are great :D

[iglak]

if you just make a plain electromagnet with like a billion wraps of wire, or more, wouldn't that be a very strong magnet even with a plain D battery?

how strong do you want, and do you want a permanent one?

[swansont]

iglak said in post #4 (http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=26168#post26168):
if you just make a plain electromagnet with like a billion wraps of wire, or more, wouldn't that be a very strong magnet even with a plain D battery?


No, because the resistance goes up with more wraps, so the current goes down for a fixed voltage.

[YT2095]

1 volt across 1 ohm will draw 1 amp

1 volt at 1 amp = 1 watt

your battery "D" cell is 1.5 volts
and will deliver short circuit current of maybe half amp max?

1.5v X .5 amp would equal roughly .75 Watts (3 quarters of a watt).
you could get some quite respectable magnetism from that (and heat) but I would suggest something closer to a couple of hundred wraps on a 1/4 inch diameter soft iron core (a 6 inch nail you heated to red hot and cooled Very slowly) ;)
it wouldn`t make it a permanent magnet, but at higher powers on a pulse system you could quite easily make it into one, even on a "D"cell you will get residual magnetism ;)
oh yeah and dont hold the 2 wires with your bare hands when you disconect it from the battery, the Back EMF, could make you jump a little :)

[aommaster]

I actually wanted a very strong permanent magnet

[YT2095]

no way then dude, sorry an all that stuff, but a home made version of what you`re seeking is a little unrealistic. :(