Index

o Introduction
o Aim
o Apparatus Required
o Theory
o Procedure
o Observation
o Precautions
o Conclusion
o Merits and Demerits
o Bibliography
 Introduction

o An electromagnet is a magnetic field that can be turned on or off. A simple

electromagnet can be made by coiling wire around a nail and connecting the
ends of the coil to a battery. The battery produces an electric current that
flows from the battery through the wire. As the current flows through the
wire, it creates a magnetic field. Once the current ceases to flow, the
magnetic field disappears. Electromagnets are useful for devices that need
magnets that can be controlled. A speaker uses electromagnets to produce
sounds or vibrations.
 Aim

o To build a Paper Speaker

KEY CONCEPTS
o Electricity
o magnetism
o vibration
o Sound
Apparatus Required

o Paper speaker template, printed on cardstock

o Paper speaker cones, printed on cardstock
o 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch neodymium magnet
o 28 AWG enameled magnet wire
o 2-position spring wire connector
o 3.5mm audio cable with bare wire end

Materials

o Computer, tablet, or smartphone with 3.5 mm "headphone" jack. If you have

a newer phone without a headphone jack, you will need an adapter.
o Scissors
o Hot glue gun or school glue
 Theory

o A speaker Is a device that converts an electric signal into sound by using an

electromagnet, magnet and speaker cone. The radio sends an electric signal
to the speaker output port. When the coil of wire is plugged into the output,
the electrical signal passes through the coil. As electricity passes through the
coil of wire, it becomes an electromagnet. The ceramic magnet inside the
cup is attracted or repelled by the magnetic field of the coil. The bottom of
the cup vibrates from the force of the electromagnet and ceramic magnet
attracting and repelling. The vibration produces the sounds that we hear.

Circuit diagram of paper speaker

 Procedure

o Print the template on cardstock. Your speaker will work with regular printer
paper, but it will not be as loud.
o Wrap one of the long, narrow strips of paper tightly around the magnet.
o Cut all the pieces of the template out along the solid lines.
o As you hold the paper-wrapped magnet firmly in place, begin wrapping the
second long, narrow strip of paper around the first strip. Now use a dab of
glue to hold the outer strip of paper in place so it does not unwind when you
let go.
o Pull about 1 foot (30 cm) of wire from the spool of magnet wire. This extra
length of wire will be used later to connect to the speaker.
o Working away from this extra length of wire, carefully, and tightly wrap 50
turns of wire from the spool around the paper tube to create a coil. The
measured foot of wire should be left free at the beginning of the coil.
o Measure out another foot of wire to leave free at the end of the coil and cut
the wire.
o Twist the two loose wires together and secure the coil with a few dabs of
glue so it does not come unwound.
o After the glue has dried, push the magnet and the inner tube of paper out of
the coil.
o Fold the large rectangular piece from the template along the dashed lines.
Begin by folding the edges of the paper inwards and continue back and forth
to form an accordion shape.
o Glue the coil to the dashed circle on the accordion piece. Allow the glue to
dry.
o Flip the accordion piece upside down. Using the small rectangle from the
template as a base, glue the two accordion legs to the shaded areas of the
rectangle. This completed piece will be the main body of the speaker.
o Bend the cone slightly to glue the angled tab onto the shaded area. Allow the
glue to dry.
o Glue the bottom, smaller opening of the cone to the top of the speaker.
o Use sandpaper to strip the insulation from about 1 cm of each end of the
wire. Fold the sandpaper in half, pinch the wire between the sides of the
sandpaper with your fingers, and pull along the wire.
o Repeat this multiple times while you rotate the wire. It can be difficult to tell
when the insulation is removed, but if you look very closely, you should see
that the underlying wire is a different color than the insulation.
o One at a time, press down on a spring clip and insert one end of the magnet
wire into the clip. Repeat for the other wire so they are next to each other.
o Connect the loose wire ends of the audio cable to the other ends of the spring
clips. There are three wires inside the audio cable: black (ground), red (left
audio channel), and white (right audio channel). You need to connect the
ground wire and one of the audio channels. Select the black wire and either
the red or white wires, and connect them to the spring clips.
o Gently pull the top and bottom parts of the speaker apart, far enough that
you can slide the magnet inside the coil, then let go and put the speaker
down. The coil should sit over the magnet with the magnet resting on the
base of the speaker. You do not need to glue the magnet in place—it is heavy
enough that it will be held in place by its own weight. This allows you to
easily remove it if you decide to test another speaker.
o Plug the 3.5 mm cable into the headphone jack of your phone, tablet, or
computer.
o Make sure the volume on your device is all the way up, and try playing some
music!
Observation

o It might not be as loud as the speakers on your phone or computer, but you
should hear sound coming from your paper speaker!
o When your phone or computer plays music, it sends an electrical current
through the headphone cable. This current travels through the wire coil in
your speaker. The wire coil acts as an electromagnet: when electrical current
travels through it, it generates a magnetic field. This magnetic field interacts
with the magnetic field of the permanent magnet inside the coil. The
resulting magnetic forces push and pull the cone of the speaker up and
down, causing it to vibrate. These vibrations pass to nearby air molecules,
generating a sound wave that travels through the air to your ears so you can
hear the music!
 Conclusion and Precautions

o Make sure you have the correct sound source selected on your phone or
computer. For example, make sure you are not connected to a Bluetooth
headset or speakers.
o Check that the volume on your device is turned all the way up.
o Check that the 3.5 mm cable is firmly plugged into the headphone jack.
o Make sure the spring clips are gripping the exposed metal parts of the 3.5
mm cable, not the insulated parts.
o Make sure you fully stripped the insulation off of the ends of the magnet
wire.
o Make sure the exposed parts of the two magnet wires are not touching each
other. This will create a short circuit.
o Make sure the magnet is not rubbing against the inside of the paper tube, as
this will add friction and decrease the speaker’s vibrations.
o Align the wire coil so it is around the top of the magnet. Magnetic fields
quickly get much weaker with distance. If the coil and the magnet are too far
away from each other, your speaker will not work.
Merits and Demerits

 Advantages
It has the advantages of rigidity and flexibility, high internal damping, and
easy mixing with other materials. The tone performance is natural and thick,
and the bass is full.

 Disadvantages
The disadvantage is that the moisture resistance is poor, and the consistency
is difficult to control during manufacturing. Because of the low cost of the
paper cone, it is widely used in multimedia speakers below 300 yuan.
Bibliography

o Finio, B. and De Brabandere, S. (2015, March 14). Electricity,

Magnetism, & Electromagnetism Tutorial. Retrieved September
25, 2015.
o Harris, T. (n.d.). How Speakers Work. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved
September 25, 2015.
o Henderson, T. (n.d.). Pitch and Frequency. The Physics
Classroom. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
o Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies