Name: ________________________

2.4.1 Using electromagnets

Form 2 Class: ________________________

Date: ________________________

Time:

Marks: 17 marks

Comments:

Page 1 of 10
 Q1.
Alex makes an electromagnet.
She winds insulated wire around an iron nail.
She connects the wire to a power supply.
She uses the electromagnet to pick up some steel paper-clips.

          This is her prediction.

 
The more turns of wire around the iron nail the stronger
the electromagnet becomes.

(a)     (i)      Give the one factor she should change as she investigates her prediction.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii)     Give one factor she should keep the same.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

(iii)     Describe how she could use the paper-clips to measure the
strength of the electromagnet.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

Page 2 of 10
(b)     Alex wrote a report of her investigation.

          What would an odd result suggest?

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c)     (i)      Which size paper-clips would Alex use to make her results more
accurate?
Tick the correct box.

 
1 mark

(ii)     Give a reason for your choice.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 6 marks

Page 3 of 10
Q2.
The diagram shows a magnetic lock for a door. It consists of both a strong permanent
magnet and an electromagnet. It is fitted into the door frame. An iron plate is attached to
the door.

(a)     In the diagram the switch is open. Explain why the door cannot be opened.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b)     When the switch is closed the door may be opened. Explain why the door may now
be opened.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c)     A burglar tries to get in by cutting the wires to the battery. Explain why the door still
cannot be opened.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(d)     When the wires are repaired, the battery is accidentally connected the other way
round.

          Explain why the door cannot now be opened.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

Page 4 of 10
 (e)     Another magnetic lock is shown below. It does not have a permanent magnet in it.

          Explain how this kind of lock works and why it is not as secure as the one shown at
the beginning of the question.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
2 marks
Maximum 6 marks

Q3.
Circuit breakers are switches which open when the current becomes too large. The
diagram shows a simple circuit breaker. The springy piece of metal pushes down on the
iron rocker, and this holds the switch contacts together.

(a)     (i)      There is a current in the coil in the circuit breaker. What is the purpose of the
coil?

............................................................................................................

............................................................................................................

Page 5 of 10
 1 mark

(ii)     What is the purpose of the soft iron core in the coil?

............................................................................................................

............................................................................................................
1 mark

(b)     Give two properties of iron which make it a good choice of material for the rocker.

1. ..................................................................................................................

2. ..................................................................................................................
2 marks

(c)     The diagram below shows the circuit breaker with the switch contacts open.

          Why do the switch contacts separate when the current becomes too large?

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark
Maximum 5 marks

Page 6 of 10
Mark schemes

Q1.
(a)     (i)      the number of turns or coils of wire
accept ‘the coils’
accept ‘the turns’
1 (L5)

(ii)     any one from

•    the current

•    the length or thickness or material of the wire or coil

accept ‘the voltage or power’
accept ‘the wire’

•    the circumference of the coil

•    the size of paper-clips

accept ‘the paper-clips’; ‘position of the coil on the nail’;
‘tightness of the coil’; accept ‘distance between turns’;
‘the nail’
do not accept ‘the number of paper-clips’
1 (L5)

(iii)     any one from

•    count the paper-clips picked up

accept ‘number of paper-clips’; ‘count them’

•    measure their mass

accept ‘weigh them’; ‘the more clips the stronger
the magnet’;
‘measure the distance at which a magnet will just pick up
a paper-clip’
1 (L5)

(b)     any one from

•    an inaccuracy in results

accept a description of inaccuracies, such as
‘she counted the number of clips wrongly’

•    a problem with the data or results

•    a problem with the method

accept ‘something wrong with the tests’
accept ‘she used different sized paper-clips’
accept ‘the paper-clips were already magnetised’
accept ‘she did something wrong’

Page 7 of 10
 ‘the test is unfair’ is insufficient
1 (L6)

(c)     (i)     

                  
if more than one box is ticked, award no mark
1 (L6)

(ii)     any one from

•    with bigger paper-clips she might miss the precise point at
which the electromagnet stopped picking up paper-clips
accept ‘she would pick up differences between the number
of turns of the coil’
accept ‘she might not see a change with big paper-clips
or she would see a change with smaller paper-clips’
‘it will pick up a few large paper-clips but a lot of
small paper-clips’ is insufficient

•    the smaller paper-clips might help to identify the precise point
at which the electromagnet stopped picking up paper-clips
accept ‘it is more precise or more sensitive’
award a mark for a response identifying that greater
precision is possible with smaller increments
‘they are smaller’ is insufficient
1 (L6)
[6]

Q2.
(a)     any one from

•    the permanent magnet attracts the iron plate

accept ‘the magnet or magnetic field holds it’

•    you cannot overcome the magnet

accept ‘the permanent magnet is still working’
or’ the magnet is too strong’
1

(b)     the field of the electromagnet opposes

or cancels the field of the permanent magnet
accept ‘the electromagnet acts against the magnet’
do not accept ‘force holding door to
plate is stopped’
or ‘electromagnet repels plate’
or ‘magnetic field is switched off’
1

(c)     any one from

Page 8 of 10
 •    the permanent magnet still attracts the iron plate or holds the door
accept ‘the permanent magnet will not be affected by this’

•    the electromagnet cannot cancel or oppose the magnetic field

accept ‘the electromagnet cannot be turned on’

•    the door cannot open unless there is a current

accept ‘the door can only open when electricity or power is
on’
1

(d)     the field of the electromagnet reinforces the field of the permanent magnet
accept ‘the electromagnet reinforces the magnet’
or ‘the electromagnet also pulls the iron plate’
do not accept ‘poles now the wrong way round’
or ‘poles are now the same way round’
1

(e)     one mark is for the explanation that current causes the electromagnet
to work; the other mark is for the repercussions of a current failure

          any one from

•    the electromagnet will hold the door shut only when there is current
accept ‘it only works when the magnet is switched on’

•    if there is no current, the magnetic field stops

1

•    it will be possible to open the door in a power failure

or by cutting the wire or if the battery is flat
do not accept ‘it is not as safe or secure’
1
[6]

Q3.
(a)     (i)      to produce a magnetic field or make an electromagnet
accept ‘to make the iron or core or it magnetic’
or ‘to make a magnet’
do not accept ‘to conduct the current’
1 (L7)

(ii)     any one from

•    to make the magnetic field stronger

•    to make the electromagnet stronger

accept ‘to focus or carry the field lines’
do not accept ‘to make an electromagnet’
or ‘to make the electromagnet better’
1 (L7)

Page 9 of 10
(b)     it is magnetic
1 (L7)

          it conducts electricity

1 (L7)
answers may be in either order
accept ‘it is attracted to the coil
or core or electromagnet’
accept ‘it conducts’

(c)     any one from

•    the electromagnet overcomes the springy metal

•    the moment of the electromagnet’s force is bigger

than the moment of the spring’s force
accept ‘the pull of the electromagnet becomes
more than the pull of the spring
1 (L7)
[5]

Page 10 of 10