MAGNETISM

Magnet comes from the word Magnesia, an area in Magnets have the following properties:
Greece where it was first discovered. 1. It has magnetic field around the magnets.
Magnets found in nature are called "natural magnets," 2. It has two poles, the north pole and the south pole.
which are Fe3O4 compounds. 3. When a magnet is freely suspended in the air and
Magnets made by humans are called artificial magnets come to rest, the magnet always points north pole of
and can be divided into: the Earth and south pole of the Earth.
• Fixed or Permanent Magnet 4. Like poles repel, and unlike poles attract.
Magnets are made of materials that are difficult to 5. The strongest attractive or repulsive force is at the
magnetise (like steel) but are also difficult to poles.
demagnatise when they become magnets. A 6. A magnet can attract magnetic materials.
substance is a permanent magnet only if it can repel 7. Only magnets can repel each other. Therefore, the
another magnet. repulsion of magnets is used to distinguish magnets
• Temporary Magnet from unmagnetised magnetic material.
Magnets are made of a material that easily
magnetised and demagnatised (soft iron).

Magnets are made of tiny atomic magnets called Magnetic materials usually are in an unmagnetised state,
elementary magnets or domains. In non-magnetic and they must be magnetised. Three methods of doing
metals, the domains in it are arranged randomly. The this (called magnetisation) are described below.
magnetic field of the domains cancels out each other. In 1. Stroking or rubbing
contrast, when the domains align in the same direction, Magnets can be made by rubbing a permanent
they create strong magnetic field. Thus, a magnet is magnet on a ferromagnetic material.
produced.

S
N S
N
Not a Magnet Magnet
This end becomes S pole
Iron wire
In making magnets by stroking:
Magnetic Materials • The direction of rubbing is only one way
Based on whether or not it can be affected by a magnet, • The pole from the last end of the materials that
a material can be divided into three categories: is rubbed will be opposite to the magnetic pole
• Ferromagnetic Material that is rubbing it.
Materials that are strongly attracted to both poles of
magnets. 2. Induced magnetism
When a magnetic material (such as iron or steel) is
Example: iron, steel, nickel, cobalt, silicon.
placed near to or touching any pole of a permanent
• Paramagnetic Materials
magnet, it becomes a magnet itself. The induced
materials that are weakly attracted to a single pole
magnet loses its magnetism once the permanent
of magnets.
magnet is removed. So, induced magnetism is a
Example: aluminum, magnesium, tungsten, and
temporary process.
platinum.
• Diamagnetic Materials N
Materials that are not attracted to magnets. They Permanent magnet
repel both poles of magnets. S
Example: silver, gold, zinc, copper, plastic. N
Ferromagnetic material
S

The poles at adjacent ends are always opposite.

3. Flowing direct current (electromagnet)
Magnets can also be made by wrapping wires in a The magnetic field is the space surrounding a magnet
ferromagnetic material and connected to a battery that still has a magnetic effect, and usually indicated by
or direct current (d.c.) supply. magnetic field lines. Magnetic field lines always leave
the north pole and enter the south pole.
There are three ways to increase the strength of an
electromagnet:
• increase the current flowing through it – the
greater the current, the greater the strength of S N
the field,
• increase the number of turns of wire on the coil
– this does not mean making the coil longer, but
The field lines are used to represent the magnetic field
packing more turns into the same space to
around a bar magnet
concentrate the field,
• add a soft iron core – an iron core becomes
strongly magnetised by the field, and this
makes the whole magnetic field much stronger. S N N S
✓ When a steel bar is placed inside the solenoid,
it will be induced to be a permanent magnet. The field pattern for two like poles repelling each other
✓ When a soft iron is placed inside the solenoid,
it will be induced to be a temporary magnet (or
called electromagnet) S N S N
The north pole of the magnetised material can be The field pattern between two opposite magnetic poles
determined by the Right-Hand Grip Rule. Use your
right hand as if you were holding the rod. The Some characteristics of magnetic field lines:
direction of the four fingers is in the direction of the • They do not cross one other.
electric current, while the direction of the thumb • They are continuous and form closed loops.
shows the direction of the north pole. • The distance (or the space) between the magnetic
field lines represents the strength of magnetic field.
Example: The closer the magnetic field lines, the stronger the
Determine the 𝑃 and 𝑄 poles on the iron below. magnetic field
Direction of Iron rod
electric current To show the magnetic field around a permanent magnet,
small plotting compasses are used. A compass consists
of a needle made of a permanent magnet. The N-pole of
the needle of the compass lines up with the magnetic
field of the bar magnet, pointing toward the S-pole of the
The electric current in the coil is directed downward. bar magnet.
So, point your right hand so that all four fingers point
down. After that, it can be seen that the thumb points to
the right, namely the end of 𝑄. So, 𝑄 is the north pole,
and 𝑃 is the south pole.

There are several ways of demagnetising a magnet.

Three methods of doing this are listed below.
1. Hammering the magnet or repeatedly dropped.
2. Heating the magnet. If its temperature goes above a
certain temperature, it will lose its magnetism.
3. Place the magnet in the field of an electromagnet
that is connected to an alternating current (a.c.)
supply.
Earth’s Magnetism north
According to William Gilbert, the earth is a magnet. The N N
north pole of the compass needle is pulled by the south
N
magnetic pole of the earth, so that the north pole of the
compass needle will point to the geographic north pole
of the earth. S S S

south

The conclusion of Oersted’s experiment:

1. A current carrying conductor produces a magnetic
field around it.
2. If the direction of current passing through the wire is
from south to north, the north pole of the compass
needle is deflected towards the west. If the direction
of current is flowing from north to south, the north
pole of the compass needle is deflected towards the
• Magnetic declination east.
The magnetic declination is defined as the angle 3. As the current through the conductor increases,
between the true north and the magnetic north. the magnetic field also increases.
4. The strength of magnetic field due to current
• Magnetic inclination carrying wire depends upon the position of
The magnetic inclination is also known as the angle observation point (or compass needle) from the wire.
of dip. It is the angle made by the horizontal plane The magnetic field is stronger near the wire and is
on the earth’s surface. At the magnetic equator, the shown by the greater deflection of compass needle
angle of dip is 0°, and at the magnetic poles, the when it is near the current carrying wire.
angle of dip is 90°.
The strength of magnetic field of a straight current
True north carrying wire can be formulated as:
Magnetic
Magnetic
N inclination 𝝁𝟎 𝑰
declination
N 𝑩=
Horizontal plane
𝟐𝝅𝒅
𝐵 = magnetic field strength at distance 𝑑
S S 𝜇0 = permeability of free space (4𝜋 × 10−7 Tm/A)
True south
𝐼 = current (A)
𝑑 = perpendicular distance from the wire (m)

Through an experiment, Christian Oersted discovered

that there was a relationship between electricity and The Direction of Magnetic Field Due to
magnetism. Current Carrying Wire
The direction of the field lines of magnetic force around
a current carrying wire can be determined using the right-
hand grip rule. It states that if we hold the current carrying
wire in right hand such that the thumb points in the
direction of flow of current, then the fingers encircle the
wire in the direction of the magnetic field lines.

By setting up a compass through a wire carrying an

electric current, Oersted showed that moving electrons
can create a magnetic field. When the switch is closed,
an electric current will flow through the wire and cause
the compass needle to deflect. The Right-Hand Grip Rule
The deflection of the compass needle can be determined
by the right-hand rule: The magnetic field produced due to a current-carrying
• Four fingers = the direction of electric wire has the following characteristics:
current (I) • It encircles the conductor.
• Thumb = the deflection of the compass • It lies in a plane perpendicular to the conductor.
needle from the north pole • Reversal in the current flow direction reverses the
field’s direction.
• Strength of the field is directly proportional to the
magnitude of the current.
• Strength of the field at any point is inversely
proportional to the distance of the point from the wire.

The Right Hand Rule or The Right Hand Palm Rule

An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the
• Thumb = the direction of current (𝐼)
magnetic field is generated by an electric current.
• Fore finger or the four fingers = the direction of
Electromagnets usually consist of wire wound into a coil
magnetic field (𝐵)
(solenoid), wrapped around a magnetic core made from
• Middle finger or the palm = the direction of the force
a ferromagnetic material.
acts (𝐹)
Here are some applications of electromagnets:
• Electric fan, electric doorbell
There are two symbols that are often used when
• Headphones, loudspeakers
representing a direction.
• Mobile phones, telephones
• Symbol ⦻ : a current flowing away from you,
• Electromagnetic cranes
or INTO the plane of the paper
• MRI scan
• Symbol ⦿ : a current moving towards you,
• Electric motors, relays, transformers, circuit breaker
or OUT of the paper

A current carrying wire placed in a magnetic field will Example: Find the direction of the force from the
experience a magnetic force (Lorentz force). following figure.
The magnitude of the Lorentz force experienced
depends on the direction of the electric current.
• If the direction of the electric current is parallel to N S
the direction of the magnetic field, the Lorentz force
is zero.
• If the direction of the electric current is
perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field, • The thumb points up (current).
the magnitude of the Lorentz force is maximum • The four fingers pointing to the right, from N to S
and can be calculated using formula: (magnetic field).
Hence, the palm will point into the plane of the paper
F=B∙I∙ℓ (force).
F = Lorentz force (N)
B = magnetic field (Weber/m2 or Tesla)
I = electric current (A)
ℓ = length of wire (m) Application of Lorentz Force
The application of the Lorentz force in daily life includes:
The direction of the force can be determined by using a • Electric motors
rule called Fleming’s Left Hand Rule or The Right- Example: electric fan, electric drill, and mixer.
Hand Rule. • Electrical measuring instruments
Example: galvanometer, avometer, voltmeter, and
amperemeter.

Fleming s Left Hand Rule

• Thumb = the direction of the force acts (𝐹)
• Fore finger = the direction of magnetic field (𝐵)
• Middle finger = the direction of current (𝐼)