BALOO'S BUGLE - US Scouting Service Project

BALOO'S BUGLE Page 35MAKE AN ELECTROMAGNETMaterials: Ten feet of 22-gauge coated copper wire 6-volt lantern battery 6 inch iron nail Steel paperclips Wire stripper and needle-nose pliers GlovesElectromagnets take advantage of a phenomenon where electricity moving in a wire causes amagnetic field around the wire (shown left).A single straight wire, with electricity flowing through it, however, has a very small magneticfield. But when you wrap that wire round and round about 50 times in a long neat coil, themagnetic fields from all of the wraps add together to form a strong magnetic field. You can also multiply thestrength of the coiled magnetic field, and make the coils much neater, by wrapping the coil around a long pieceof iron or steel (like a nail). The more tight and neat the wraps are, the better it will work.To make current flow through the wire, we need to make anelectrical circuit. Strip a half inch of insulating plastic off of eachloose end of the wire, and with the pliers curl the ends of the barewires into U shapes. Scatter the paper clips on a table nearby. Put on a pair of dry, cloth gloves, because thewires may get hot when the current is flowing. Hook one bare wire onto one of the springs on the lanternbattery. Now hook the other bare wire to the other spring connection on the battery and voila you now have anelectromagnet that can pick up the paper clips and any other small ferrous objects. The electromagnet willwork until the battery is drained or the circuit is broken.Did you notice a spark when the second wire was connected to the battery? Notice how warm the wires getas the electrical current flows through them. Disconnect the wires while the electromagnet is holdingpaperclips and watch it drop them. Connect the circuit, pick-up paper clips in one place and move theelectromagnet over a box, then disconnect a wire and drop the paperclips in the box. Continue this until allpaperclips have been moved.ATHLETE -- PHYSICAL SKILLS GROUPAn athlete is one who keeps his body physically fit, strong, graceful and agile - a desire of practically everyboy. Tell your Webelos Scouts about the athlete and what it takes to become one. Impress them with the factthat the body is a priceless gift and only a few minutes of exercise each day are required to keep it physicallyfit.By adequate exercise, getting the proper food each day and taking care of himself, a boy can become anathlete. The activities for this badge can help the Webelos Scout measure up to the standards of strength,agility, endurance, and coordination necessary for good active Scouting activities in later life.Many Webelos leaders use this badge to introduce a new Webelos Scout to the program. This begins theirWebelos year with an appealing badge to inspire them onward. By laying out a permanent accurately measured50 yard dash and 600 yard run near your meeting place, you can easily test your new Webelos Scouts in lessthan half an hour. Use a stopwatch when timing these sprint and distance runs.Make up a permanent Fitness Progress Chart and retest the boys at different times throughout the yearand chart their progress. They will be interested in bettering their records.