PHYSICS

ELECTROMAGNETISM
Grade 10 | Topic 6

MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF A STEADY CURRENT

When a current passes through a conductor, it produces a magnetic field around it.

FOR A STRAIGHT CONDUCTOR FOR A COILED CONDUCTOR

a coil of wire consisting of many loops
• The lines of force of the magnetic field produced around a
straight current-carrying conductor are in the form of • Electric current in the solenoid of
SOLENOID
concentric circles. wire produces a magnetic field
• The magnetic field produced is stronger near the current- which is similar to the magnetic
carrying conductor and weaker farther away from it. field of a permanent bar magnet.
• Reversing the direction of the current reverses the the type of temporary magnet which
direction of the magnetic field (clockwise/anticlockwise). ELECTROMAGNET is created when current flows
through a coil
DIRECTION OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD: THE ‘RIGHT-HAND GRIP RULE’
The direction of the magnetic field The thumb of a right hand indicates the north pole of a
𝐼
produced around a current-carrying current-carrying coil, if held by curling the fingers in the
direction of
conductor is in the direction the current direction of the conventional current.
fingers of a right hand would curl if
wrapped around the wire, with the direction of
thumb pointing in the direction of magnetic field S N
the current.

+
𝐼in 𝐼out

FORCE ON A CURRENT-CARRYING CONDUCTOR PLACED IN A MAGNETIC FIELD

A current-carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field experiences a force when its own magnetic field interacts with the field
of the magnet.
• The force is perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field and the direction of the current.
• It depends on:
o the amount of current in the wire
o the strength of the magnetic field
o the length of the wire inside the magnetic field
DIRECTION OF THE FORCE: FLEMING’S LEFT-HAND RULE
When the forefinger, the middle finger, and the thumb of the left hand are stretched mutually perpendicular to each other,
such that the forefinger points in the direction of the magnetic field and the middle finger points in the direction of the
current, then the thumb points in the direction of the force acting on the conductor.

direction of force

direction of current

direction of magnetic field

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ELECTROMAGNETISM
Grade 10 | Topic 6

TURNING EFFECT ON A CURRENT-CARRYING

DC MOTOR
COIL IN A MAGNETIC FIELD
an electrical machine that converts the electrical energy,
A current-carrying loop rotates inside a magnetic field due produced due to the torque acting on a current-carrying
to the torque acting on it. loop inside a magnetic field, into mechanical energy
• The magnitude of the torque depends on:
o the magnitude of the current passing through the • The coil of a DC motor, called armature, is made of many
loop loops.
o the number of loops • The magnetic field is produced by permanent magnets or
an electromagnet.
• Varying the amount of current through the motor
controls the torque, and, in turn, the speed of the motor.
• The total force acting on the armature can be increased
by:
o increasing the number of turns of the coil
o increasing the current in the coil
o increasing the strength of the magnetic field
o increasing the area of the coil

ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION
the process of generating an induced current in a circuit by changing the number of magnetic lines of force passing through it,
through relative motion between the coil and the magnet

The value of induced e.m.f. in a circuit is directly proportional to the rate of

change of the number of magnetic lines of force passing through it.
FARADAY’S LAW OF
ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION The magnitude of induced e.m.f. depends on:
• the speed of the relative motion between the coil and the magnet
• the number of turns of the coil
DIRECTION OF INDUCED e.m.f.: The direction of an induced current in a circuit is always such that it opposes the
LENZ’S LAW cause that produces it.

AC GENERATOR
an electrical machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, through the rotation of a coil inside a magnetic
field, which continuously changes the magnetic field strength through it, and thus, induces an alternating voltage in it

MUTUAL INDUCTION TRANSFORMER

an electrical device used to increase (step-up transformer)
the phenomenon of production of or decrease (step-down transformer) AC voltages
induced current in one coil due to 𝑽sΤ𝑽p = 𝑵sΤ𝑵p
change of current in a neighbouring
coil • An ideal transformer has no power losses.
𝑽p𝑰p = 𝑽s𝑰s

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