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Lecture 6, 7 Magnetic Fields

The document provides an overview of magnetism, including the properties and behavior of magnetic fields, magnetic materials, and the creation and destruction of magnets. It explains the rules governing magnetic field lines, the distinction between hard and soft magnetic materials, and methods for plotting magnetic fields. Additionally, it covers the concept of electromagnets and their advantages over permanent magnets.

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21 views6 pages

Lecture 6, 7 Magnetic Fields

The document provides an overview of magnetism, including the properties and behavior of magnetic fields, magnetic materials, and the creation and destruction of magnets. It explains the rules governing magnetic field lines, the distinction between hard and soft magnetic materials, and methods for plotting magnetic fields. Additionally, it covers the concept of electromagnets and their advantages over permanent magnets.

Uploaded by

devilboyy13bd
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Magnetism

Magnetic Fields
 In the space around a
magnet there is
a magnetic field
 Magnetic field
lines are a useful way
of helping us to
picture that field: Its
strength and its
direction
 Magnetic field lines obey a couple of rules:
o They always go from north to south ((indicated by an arrow midway along the line)
o They never touch or cross other field lines

 When two magnets are held close together, there will be a force between the magnets:

Opposite poles attract; like poles repel

 Magnetic materials (which are not magnets) will always be attracted to the magnet, regardless of which
pole is held close to it
 A magnet can only repel another magnet
(This can be a useful test for a magnet)

Extended Only
Magnetic Forces

 Magnetic forces are caused by the interaction of magnetic fields

Plotting a Magnetic Field


 In your IGCSE examination you might be asked to describe a method of plotting the magnetic field
around a bar magnet
 There are two principle ways of doing this:

Using Iron Filings

 Place a piece of paper on top of the magnet


 Gently sprinkle iron filings on top of the paper
 Now carefully tap the paper to allow the iron filings to settle on the field lines
Iron filings can be used to plot a magnetic field

 Place the magnet on top of a piece of paper


 Draw a dot at one end of the magnet (near its corner)
 Place a plotting compass next to the dot, so that one end of the needle of the compass points towards the
dot
 Use a pencil to draw a new dot at the other side of the compass needle
 Now move the compass so that it points towards the new dot, and repeat the above process
 Keep repeating until you have a chain of dots going from one end of the magnet to the other. Then
remove the compass, and link the dots using a smooth curve – the magnetic field line
 The direction of the field line is the same as the direction of the plotting compass
 You can now repeat the whole process several times to create several other magnetic field lines

What are Magnetic Materials?


 A magnetic material is a material that experiences a force when placed in a magnetic field
 Although all magnetic materials are metallic, not all metals are magnetic
 Common magnetic materials include:
o Iron
o Steel (an alloy of iron)
o Nickel
o Cobalt
 Note: Copper and Aluminium are non-magnetic
Hard and Soft Materials
 Magnetically soft materials (e.g. Iron):
o Are easy to magnetise
o Easily lose their magnetism
 Magnetically hard materials (e.g. Steel):
o Are hard to magnetise
o Do not easily lose their magnetism
 Permanent magnets are made out of magnetically hard materials, as we don’t want them to lose their magnetism
 Electromagnets are made out of magnetically soft materials, as we want them to be able to easily gain and lose
their magnetism

Induced Magnetism
 When a magnetic material is placed in a magnetic field, the material can temporarily become magnetised:
o One end of the material will become a north pole
o The other end will become a south pole

When a magnet is held close to a magnetic material, the material temporarily becomes magnetised

 This process is known as magnetic induction and results in a force being exerted on the material
 When the material is removed from the magnetic field, it will start to lose its magnetism (depending on whether it
is magnetically hard or soft)

Creating and Destroying Magnets


 Magnets are usually made from hard magnet materials
 There are several ways in which a
magnet can be created:

Stroking with a magnet:

A magnetic material can be magnetised by


stroking it with one end in east west
direction of another magnet

Using a direct current (d.c.) in a coil:


Placing a magnetic material in a coil and then passing a direct current through the coil will also magnetise it

Hitting with a hammer:

 If the material is placed in a magnetic field and then hit with a hammer, the material will also become magnetised

Hitting material placed into a magnetic field with a hammer can lead to the material becoming magnetised

Extended Only
Methods of Demagnetization

 Magnets can be demagnetised by using one of the following methods:


o Hit the material with a hammer (when it is not in a magnetic field)
o Heat the material (until it begins to glow) and then slowly let it cool
o Place the material in a coil containing alternating current (a.c.) and then slowly withdraw the material
(with the a.c. power source still attached to the coil)

Electromagnets
 When a current (d.c.) is passed through a long coil, the current creates a magnetic field around the coil similar to
that of a bar magnet

The magnetic field around a solenoid (a long coil) is identical to the


magnetic field of a bar magnet

 Placing a soft magnetic material (such as iron) inside the coil will make
the field much stronger:
The coil becomes an electromagnet
 Electromagnets have an advantage over
ordering magnets as they can be turned on
and off and the magnetic field strength can be
changed
 The strength of an electromagnet’s magnetic
field may be increased by:
o Increasing the current in the coil
o Adding more turns to the coil

Exam Tip
When discussing the strength of an electromagnet, avoid saying “add more coils”:
The coil describes the overall object – the individual loops of wire should be referred to as turns.
The correct phrase to use is “add more turns to the coil”

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