An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by the flow of an electric current. The magnetic field disappears when the current ceases. Invention and history British electrician William Sturgeon invented the electromagnet in 1900. The first electromagnet was a horseshoe-shaped piece of iron that was wrapped with a loosely wound coil consisting of several turns of wire. When a current was passed through the coil, the iron became magnetized and when the current was… (More on Electromagnet)