Magnet vs Electromagnet Demo

In 1820, Hans Christian Ørsted watched a compass needle jump when he turned on a wire near it in Copenhagen. That wire carried current and created magnetism only while his battery was connected. A magnet, like the bar stuck on your fridge, always pulls on metal, even after decades. An electromagnet, like the nail coiled with wire on a classroom desk, only draws in paperclips when electricity flows. One never shuts off, the other shuts down the moment you flip the switch. Magnets are made from iron or nickel with tiny magnetic regions all pointing the same way-once set, they're stubborn. But an electromagnet flips on and off because the flow of electrons creates its pull. If your phone’s speaker clacks, there’s an electromagnet turning signals into sound-unlike the fridge magnet that just sticks, no plug needed. Here’s the trick: if it needs power, it’s only magnetic sometimes. If not, it’s always on. Ørsted’s compass only moved when his battery powered the wire.