onomer Amy Mainzer.

What do lightning, static, and magnets all have in common?

They'’re all very closely related, and they'’re part of something that we call electromagnetism.

But what does electricity have to do with magnets?

Well, to find out, we'’re gonna make our own electromagnet.

That means we'’re gonna take electricity and convert it into magnetism.

But first, I'’m gonna put on my safety glasses, and as always, don'’t try this without a grown-up.

We'’re going to start off with this ordinary piece of metal here-- and you can see it; it doesn'’t have any unusual magnetic properties to it-- and the just some plain old wire.

But the key thing that makes it all happen is the energy stored in this battery.

And now let'’s have some fun.

The first thing we'’re gonna do is, we'’re going to take this wire and wrap it around this nail.

The wire is gonna carry electric current, electricity, and by going around and around and around, that electricity is going to get converted into magnetism.

Okay, we'’ve got lots of wire coiled around this nail, but it'’s still not a magnet.

Now, by attaching this battery, for the moment of truth... [upbeat music] Wow!

All right, look at that.

Pretty cool.

But watch what happens when we take the wire off the battery.

[nails clacking] With the wire off, there'’s no more electricity flowing and no more magnet.

So the next time somebody tells you you have a magnetic personality, tell them you got a charge out of that compliment.