1. Electromagnetic Fishing Derby
NAME: ______________________________________ CLASS: __________________
Electromagnetic Fishing Derby
Goal: Build an electromagnetic fishing rod that can lift paper clips from one container and drop them into another. *The Team 1 Derby winner will be the student who lifts & transfers the most paper clips in one minute.
Requirements: Complete this packet and a working electromagnet fishing rod.
Worksheet 1 – DUE _________________
Worksheet 2 – DUE ____________________
Worksheet 3 & fishing rod – DUE ___________
Fri., Apr. 19
Mon. Apr. 29
Tues. May 7

2. Pole Core Battery Switch ITEM MATERIAL(S) Attachments
Worksheet 1 – Planning for Your Electromagnetic Fishing Pole
Directions: Use this worksheet to make a detailed plan for building your electromagnetic fishing pole. After you build a first model, testing and improving it will be important steps. As you make plans and build your fishing pole, keep in mind that you may replace some parts later.
Introduction: The different parts of the pole are the rod itself, a metal core wrapped in wire and powered by a battery, and a switch to turn the electromagnet on and off. In the space provided, make a detailed plan for constructing your electromagnetic fishing pole and sketch your proposed design with labels.
ITEM
MATERIAL(S)
Draw and label your design here:
Pole
Core
Item(s):
Shape:
Battery
Type/Size:
How Many:
Switch
(include in sketch)
Materials:
How it works:
Attachments
How will everything be held together?
Must be iron/magnetic
9v max
Biggest is lantern battery (1)

3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Worksheet 2 – Testing Your Electromagnetic Fishing Rod
Name: ____________________
Class: ____________________
Worksheet 2 – Testing Your Electromagnetic Fishing Rod
Directions: You will need to test your different versions of your fishing pole. Does one choice of core work better than another? Is a core with 200 turns of wire twice as strong as a core with 100 turns of wire? How will you measure the lifting ability of each fishing pole version? One way is to count how many paper clips it will lift at once. Another way would be to see how heavy an object your pole can lift. Use the table below to record the data on your tests. Remember to change only one variable at a time. Remember to consider the freshness of the battery in your testing.
Description of Model Tested
Example: Nail Core, 100 Coils, Tight and Neat Wind
Results, Observations, and Notes
Example: Picked up 12 Paper Clips, Some clips fell off when raised, light and hard to control. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Required
Required
Honors
Required
Optional
Optional

4. Name: ____________________
Class: ____________________
Worksheet #3 – Derby Day
HYPOTHESIS: I predict that my electromagnet will pick up & move _________________ paperclips in one minute.
RESULTS: How many paperclips did your device pick up during the contest? ____________________
CONCLUSIONS: What part of your fishing pole was the most successful? EXPLAIN.
CONCLUSIONS: What part of your fishing pole was the least successful? EXPLAIN.
CONCLUSIONS: Identify 4 variables that affect the strength of an electromagnet.
A. ________________________________________ B. ________________________________________
C. ________________________________________ D. ________________________________________

5. Electromagnetic Fishing Pole Rubric
ITEM PTS. POSSIBLE PTS. EARNED COMMENTS
WORKSHEET #1
Planning Page 7
WORKSHEET #2
Testing Page 6
WORKSHEET #3
Derby Day 4
ABLE TO PICK UP
AT LEAST 1 PAPERCLIP 1
FISHING POLE & PACKET
TURNED IN ON TIME 2
TOTAL 20