Students are to provide their own tin cans and button magnets.
In addition to the tin can and button magnet a mini-phone jack with wire leads is needed. Some enamel coated wire is used to wind the coils. And some tape holds everything to the bottom of the can. A close-up of the copper wire coil and magnet taped into position on the bottom of the can is shown at the right. The mini-phone jack plugs into the headphone socket on a small transistor radio.