Question

during physical science, ms. greene challenged her students to produce an energy transformation. james and jill wrapped a 4 - inch nail with a coil of fifty turns of wire. they connected one end of the coil to one terminal of a knife switch. they connected the other terminal of the knife switch to the battery. finally, they connected the end of the coil to the other terminal of the battery.
james held the tip of a 1 - inch nail near the flat end of the 4 - inch nail. jill closed the knife switch quickly and then opened it. the 1 - inch nail was pulled toward the 4 - inch nail.
james and jill used a battery as a source of electricity to construct a(n)__that created__force that caused the nail to move.
a motor; electrical
b generator; magnetic
c generator; electrical
d electromagnet; magnetic

Explanation:

• An electromagnet is made by wrapping wire around a core (the nail here) and passing an electric current through it. When the current flows (Jill closes the switch), it creates a magnetic field.
• A motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy (not relevant here as no rotation is described). A generator converts mechanical energy to electrical energy (not the case here).
• The force that causes the nail to move is magnetic. When the electromagnet (the 4 - inch nail with coil) is activated, it exerts a magnetic force on the 1 - inch nail.

Answer:

D. electromagnet; magnetic