NATURE OF MAGNETISM

Magnetism is a force like gravity and the strong and weak forces inside the nucleus of an atom.
Magnetic forces pull and push objects by generating the so-called magnetic field.

Properties of Magnets
1. Magnets have the ability to attract materials that are magnetic in nature.
a. If you dip a small bar magnet into the iron filings, you will notice that the iron filings
become attracted to the ends of the magnet. The forces of attraction are produced by
the ends of the magnet, the north pole (N) and the south pole(S), called magnetic poles.
The attraction is strongest at the poles and weakest at the center.
2. Like poles repel and unlike poles attract each other.
3. When allowed to hang freely, magnets always align in one particular direction.
4. Magnetic poles always occur in pairs.

Magnetic Field. A region in which a magnetic force can be detected.

The SI unit of the magnetic field strength (B) is the tesla (T), in honor of the Serbian-American physicist,
Nikola Tesla (1857 – 1943). One tesla is equal to one newton per ampere-meter, N/A.m. its magnitude is
equal to the number of flux lines per unit area of a magnetic field.

The Si unit of magnetic flux (ɸ) is the weber (Wb), in honor of Wilhelm Weber (1804 – 1891). One weber
is equal to one tesla square meter, T.m2. it measures the number of flux lines, where 1 Wb = 108 lines of
flux.

ELECTRICITY TO MAGNETISM
The relationship between electricity and magnetism is studied in electromagnetism.

Uses of Electromagnetism
Electrical energy. The energy associated with electric current.
Mechanical energy. The energy of an object due to its movement
a. Electrical motor. Converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.
How does it work?
A simple DC electric motor contains an electromagnet, a permanent magnet and a commutator.
An electromagnet, called an armature, is placed in the magnetic field of the permanent magnet.
The poles of the armature rotate away from the like poles of permanent magnet. Since like
poles repels each other, the armature continues to rotate. The armature turns a drive shaft that
does work.

The part which reverses the flow of current through an electric motor is commutator. It consists
of two parts of a ring. Each half is attached to one end of the loop of wire. As it moves, the
commutator slides past two contact points called brushes. The brushes connect the commutator
to the current source.

b. Current meters. Devices which measure electric current.

 Galvanometer. Measures small amounts of electric current.
Ammeter. A galvanometer with parallel resistor and connected in series with the load to
measure the current passing through it.

MAGNETISM TO ELECTRICITY
Magnetism can also be used to produce electricity. The fact is essential in today’s massive generation of
electricity by power plants. The process is called electromagnetic induction.

Electromagnetic Induction
Michael Faraday. His observations included the following (a) When he thrust a magnet into a coil of
wire, current was induced in the coil while magnet was moving relative to the coil, (b) Moving the
magnet toward the coil had the same effect as moving the coil toward the magnet; only the relative
motion was important.
Faraday’s law
The emf induced in a loop of wire is proportional to the rate of change of magnetic flux through the coil
and is present even if the circuit resistance is infinite and the current is zero.

Joseph Henry. Published the result of his work in 1832. He explained that a changing electric current in a
coil can induce another current in the same coil. As a result, the current in the coil consists of two
components, the initial current plus an induced current. This effect is known as inductance.

Heinrich Friedrich Lenz extended our understanding of induction of currents by stating a related law.
Lenz’s law states that ‘the direction of an induced current is such that its own magnetic field opposes the
original change in magnitude in magnetic flux that induced the current.’

Some important concept to understand electromagnetic induction:

1. It occurs any time motion takes place between the wire and the magnetic field.
2. The results are the same when the wire moves, when the magnetic field moves, or when both
move.
3. The speed of the motion affects the strength of the electric current; that is, a weak current is
produced when the movement of the wire or the magnetic field is slow and a strong current is
produced when the movement is fast.
4. The number of loops in the wire affects t6he strength of the electric current is produced when
the movement of the wire or the magnetic field is slow and a strong current is produced when
the movement is fast.
5. Any changing magnetic field will induce a current.

USES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION

Many useful devices are built using the principle of electromagnetic induction. Two of the more
important devices are the generators and the transformers.

Generators. An electric generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. Any device that
creates an electric current by turning a coil of wire through a magnetic field is a generator. Most
generators produce alternating current (AC), so they are called AC generators. The generators are also
called alternators. There is also what we call a SC generator. It is like an AC generator, except that it
contains a commutator instead of slip ring.

Transformers. Voltage and current in AC circuits can be increased of decreased using a device called a
transformer. A transformer uses electromagnetic induction to change the voltage and current in a
circuit. It has a primary coil wound around one portion of a soft-iron core. The primary coil is connected
to a power source. A secondary coil winds around an opposite portion of the soft-iron core.

Transformers are classified into two types based on what they can do to voltage and current. These are
the step-up transformers which increase the voltage and decrease the current; and the step-down
transformers which reduce the voltage and increase the current.

GENERATING ELECTRICITY
A generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. When an electric company generates
electricity, huge turbines are usually involved. A turbine is a circular device made up of many blades. It
is just like propeller turned by different kinds of fluids.

Electric power can be produced in many ways. Each kind of power-generating plant converts a specific
type of energy into electrical energy. Some of these are: Solar energy, Geothermal energy, Energy from
fossil fuels, Energy from falling water, energy from tides, energy from the wind, and nuclear energy.