Leave 7 to 8 inches of wire loose from each end of the nail, and begin wrapping the rest of the wire securely and firmly around the nail, leaving no gaps. There should be excess wire left at both ends of the nail.
Measure the 7 to 8 inches of wire on each end, and then cut off any left over. The remaining wire will be used to connect to the battery.
Use the wire cutters to strip (peel back) some of the plastic on each end of the loose wire hanging from the nail. You will only need to peel back an inch of the coating--just enough to expose the wire itself.
Stand the battery up, place one end of the wire onto the top of the battery. Take the other end of the wire and place it on the bottom of the battery.
Tape the wire to the battery so it will stay in place, making sure the wire is touching the battery securely.
Place the point of the nail near a few paperclips and watch as they pick them up. If it works, you have successfully made a model of an electromagnet. See how many paperclips you can pick up with your newly modeled electromagnet.