How do I figure out the pulling strength of anf eletromagnet. ?

Question

There must be a formula to figure the pulling strength of electromagnet. I would figure size has alot to do with it.

Thanks

Answer 1

There is no (reasonable) mathematical way to calculate magnetic force in real applications.  Large, expensive research applications use dedicated computers that take days to calculate these equations.  

Near the center of the magnet the magnetic field is relatively uniform, however near the edges the field becomes erratic.  These are known as fringe fields.  In most cases magnetic force must be measured another way.

I began looking at this problem a few years ago, when I built a simple coil gun.  I used mechanical physics (such as kinetic energy) applications to determine the force.  If you need help setting up a similar experiment I would be glad to help.

Answer 2

The previous guy is correct in saying that there is no formula. But you can get an electromagnet catalog, and look at the force of a similar solenoid to the one you want to build. You can scale it up or down slightly, if you keep the coil power per unit volume constant.