Can this experiment harm the compass?

It will not harm the compass unless the compass is exposed to a magnetic field for long enough that it gets remagnetised in a different direction.

why is the author never talking or giving explanations to the videos?

The idea is to get you thinking about what's going on (and try it yourself leading to your own discoveries). Eventually I will add a video at the end of each tutorial with a summary

Nice! So simple too. But such a device can only detect the presence of current. How can we determine the level of current?

for this purpose we use an instrument known as ammeter.the galvanometer is just the primitive version of the ammeter.

When the compass spins, does that mean that the battery is good or bad?

It means the battery is good, and working. When electricity from the battery travels around the coils, it creates a magnetic field. This field is what causes the compass to spin. If the battery were dead, there would not be an electric current, so there would be no magnetic field.

So does this work sorta like an electromagnet?

Good call. A voltage source, battery, attached to a coil, makes an electromagnet. putting a compass in the middle of the coil allows you to determine whether your voltage source, battery, is active/working.

Does the amount of magnetic wire I use to circumvent the compass matter? The more wire the more accurate the galvanometer is?

Hello Colin, Accurate may not be the correct word. With more with the galvanometer would be more sensitive. The needle would deflect with a smaller current. Regards, APD

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Physics library

Course: Physics library > Unit 18

Lesson 5: Discovery of electromagnetism

Battery meter (galvanometer)

Name: Battery meter (galvanometer)
Uploaded: 2013-04-20T15:47:38Z
Description: Simple device which we can use to measure our homemade batteries. You can test it with any household battery first. What does this deflection represent? What forces are involved?

Google Classroom

Simple device which we can use to measure our homemade batteries. You can test it with any household battery first. What does this deflection represent? What forces are involved? Created by Brit Cruise.

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Fred12
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Fred12's post “why is the author never t...”
why is the author never talking or giving explanations to the videos?
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(12 votes)
Answer
- brit cruise
  Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to brit cruise's post “The idea is to get you th...”
  The idea is to get you thinking about what's going on (and try it yourself leading to your own discoveries). Eventually I will add a video at the end of each tutorial with a summary
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  (25 votes)
Michael Eve
Posted 11 years ago. Direct link to Michael Eve's post “Can this experiment harm ...”
Can this experiment harm the compass?
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(16 votes)
Answer
- Awes😵meMaster 🔧
  Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Awes😵meMaster 🔧's post “It will not harm the comp...”
  It will not harm the compass unless the compass is exposed to a magnetic field for long enough that it gets remagnetised in a different direction.
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  (8 votes)
eightsquare
Posted 11 years ago. Direct link to eightsquare's post “Nice! So simple too. But ...”
Nice! So simple too. But such a device can only detect the presence of current. How can we determine the level of current?
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(7 votes)
Answer
- Abijeeth
  Posted 11 years ago. Direct link to Abijeeth's post “for this purpose we use a...”
  for this purpose we use an instrument known as ammeter.the galvanometer is just the primitive version of the ammeter.
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  (5 votes)
Artifigence
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Artifigence's post “When the compass spins, d...”
When the compass spins, does that mean that the battery is good or bad?
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(1 vote)
Answer
- Luke S.
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Luke S.'s post “It means the battery is g...”
  It means the battery is good, and working. When electricity from the battery travels around the coils, it creates a magnetic field. This field is what causes the compass to spin. If the battery were dead, there would not be an electric current, so there would be no magnetic field.
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  (4 votes)
Peter
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Peter's post “Are the alligator clips a...”
Are the alligator clips attached to the ends of the magnet wire?
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(2 votes)
Answer
- retrojack
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to retrojack's post “The answer would be proba...”
  The answer would be probably yes. If , it wasn't connected , then I don't think the compass would detect the battery .
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  (1 vote)
Peter
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Peter's post “Are the alligator clips a...”
Are the alligator clips attached to the end of magnet wire?
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(2 votes)
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- Serena Yeh
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Serena Yeh's post “Yes. The compass would no...”
  Yes. The compass would not be spinning if the circuit is not complete.
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  (1 vote)
♦SamuelM♦
Posted 11 years ago. Direct link to ♦SamuelM♦'s post “So does this work sorta l...”
So does this work sorta like an electromagnet?
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(1 vote)
Answer
- Exponentially Radical
  Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Exponentially Radical's post “Good call. A voltage sour...”
  Good call. A voltage source, battery, attached to a coil, makes an electromagnet. putting a compass in the middle of the coil allows you to determine whether your voltage source, battery, is active/working.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (3 votes)
colin
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to colin's post “Does the amount of magnet...”
Does the amount of magnetic wire I use to circumvent the compass matter? The more wire the more accurate the galvanometer is?
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(1 vote)
Answer
- APDahlen
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to APDahlen's post “Hello Colin, Accurate ma...”
  Hello Colin,
  
  Accurate may not be the correct word. With more with the galvanometer would be more sensitive. The needle would deflect with a smaller current.
  
  Regards,
  
  APD
  Comment on APDahlen's post “Hello Colin, Accurate ma...”
  (2 votes)
Sai Sai
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Sai Sai's post “what does deflection repr...”
what does deflection represent...?
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(1 vote)
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- Aniket
  Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Aniket's post “Deflect is when you hit s...”
  Deflect is when you hit something and you continue going except your angle changes. Reflect is when you go and hit something and you go back in the same direction you came.
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  (1 vote)
Tais Price
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Tais Price's post “can you tell us the reaso...”
can you tell us the reason for this and how it spins and why?
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(1 vote)
Answer

Video transcript

Magnet wire.