Students explore the relationship between electricity and magnetism. They begin by observing that moving a magnet through a coil of wire can generate an electric current. Students then observe that the opposite is also true: a temporary magnet can be made by passing an electric current through a wire. Students see how electromagnets are used in electric motors, electric generators, and devices such as doorbells and earphones.

Student Resources

• 8.1 Vocabulary
• 8.2 Making an Electromagnet
• 8.3 Converting Light into Electricity
• 8.4 Section 8 Assessment

Learn by Reading

For additional content-area reading, check out the Houghton Mifflin Science eBook: Grade 4, Unit F, pages F68–F71.