Making electricity

You should know how to produce an electric current using a coil of wire and a magnet.

Induction

An electric current is produced when a magnet is moved into a coil of wire in a circuit. We say that the electric current has been induced, and the process is called induction. The direction of the induced current is reversed when the magnet is moved out of the coil again. It can also be reversed if the other pole of the magnet is moved into the coil. Check your understanding of this with this simulation.

Notice that no current is induced when the magnet is still, even if it is inside the coil.

Increasing the induced current

To increase the induced current:

• move the magnet faster
• use a stronger magnet
• increase the number of turns on the coil
• increase the area of the coil