Physics

Topic 7- Magnetism and Electromagnetism

Magnets
Magnetic material are materials that feel a force from a magnetic field
Magnets produce magnetic field
Magnetic field is the region around a magnet where a force acts on another magnet or magnetic field
Magnetism is non-contact force
All magnets have two poles- north and south
Only iron, nickel and cobalt are magnetic materials
Closer together lines are stronger magnetic field. Further away from magnet you get, weaker field is
This means that magnetic field is strongest at poles of magnet
Force between magnet and magnetic material is always attractive

Compasses
Inside compass is tiny bar magnet. North pole of magnet is attracted to south pole of any other
magnet it is near.
So compass needle points in direction of magnetic field it is in
When compass needle is not near magnet, it always points north because Earth generates its own
magnetic field, which shows the inside (core) of Earth must be magnetic

Permanent/Induced Magnets
Permanet magnet produce own magnetic field
Induced magnet are magnetic materials that turn into magnet when they are put into magnetic field
Force between permanent and induced magnet is always attractive
When take away magnetic field, induced magnet quickly lose most or all of their magnets

Electromagnetism
When current flows through wire, magnetic field is created around wire in concentric circles
Can prove this by placing compass near wire that is carrying current. As compass moves toward wire,
it will trace toward direction of magnetic field
Strength of magnetic field produced changes with current and distance from wire. Large current
through wire or closer to wire, stronger field is
Use Right-hand thumb rule to work out direction of current/magnetic field

Solenoids
Solenoids are coil of wire
By wrapping around wire into coil, magnetic field strength increases
This is because field lines around each loop of wire line up with each other. This results in lots of field
lines pointing in same direction that are very close.
Closer together field lines are, stronger field is
Magnetic field inside solenoid is strong and uniform as has same strength and direction at every point
Outside coil, magnetitic field is similar to bar magnet
Can increase field strength of solenoid by putting block of iron in center of coil. Iron core becomes an
induced magnet whenever current is flowing.
To increase strength of magnetic field, increase current or number of coils

Uses of Electromagnets
A solenoid with an iron core is an electromagnet
Useful as they can be turned on and off quickly and can create varying force
In cranes, electromagnets are used to attract and pick up magnetic material. On when you want to
pick something up and off when you want to drop it
In switches e.g.
When current 1 is closed, it turns on electromagnet, which attracts iron block on rocker
Rocker pivots and closes the contact, completing circuit two and turning on motor
Circuit 2 may be high voltage and dangerous and circuit 1 may be low voltage and safe to switch on
and off

The Motor Effect

When a conductor carrying a current is placed in magnetic field, magnet producing field and
conductor exert force on each other. This is called the motor effect and can cause the wire to move.

To experience full force, wire has to be 90° to magnetic field and if wire is parallel to magnetic field, it
will not experience any force. In between, it will feel some force
Force always act as right angle to magnetic field of magnet and to direction of current in wire
Size of force increases with strength of magnetic field, current passing through conductor and length
of wire

Equation
Magnetif flux density is how many field lines there are in region which shows strength of magnet
Flemming’s left hand rule

Electric Motors
A coil of wire carrying current in magnetic field tends to rotate . This is basis of electric motor
Direction of motor can be swapped by swapping polarity of dc supply (Reversing current) or swapping
the magnetic poles (reversing field)
1. Current runs both ways between magnetic field
2. Current on left hand side of coil causes upward force and current on right hand side causes
downward force. Use FLR to work out direction of moment (rotation)
3. Coil rotates clockwise because of forces acting in opposite direction
4. Once at 90 degrees, the motor will stop spinning because forces are balanced (DIAGRAM 2)
 Split-ring commutator
Split-ring commutator is a split metal ring connected to conduction brushes
Brushes allow current to pass onto ring
1. When at 90 degrees, current is broken for tiny fraction of a second (diagram 2)
2. Wire keeps turning due to momentum
3. Current switches direction and goes back to diagram 1. Force on right hand still acts downwards
and vice versa.
4. By switching direction of current, split ring commutator allow motor to keep rotating in same
direction

Loud speakers+Headphones
Work because of electromagnets
1. Alternating current is sent through coil of wire attached to base of paper cone
2. Coil surrounds one pole of permanent magnet and is surrounded by other pole so current causes
force on coil
3. As current passes through coil, it generates magnetic field. Magnetic fields interact with each other
4. Magnetic field either attract or repels, causing cone to move
5. When current direction reverses as it is AC, forces act in opposite direction
6. Causes cone to vibrate which makes air around cone vibrate and variations in pressure creating
sound waves
7. Frequency of sound wave is same as frequency of AC so lower frequency produces lower pitch
sound. Increasing size of current, increases amplitude and volume of sound

The Generator Effect

The generator effect- the induction of a potential difference (and current if there is a complete circuit)
in a wire which is experiencing a change in magnetic field
Generator effect creates a potential difference in conductor and current if conductor is part of
complete circuit
Only see generator effect if wire passes through magnetic field
If movement stops, p.d./current stops
When direction of movement switches, direction of current/p.d. switches
When switching direction, induced current/ p.d. changes direction
Induced p.d. and current are larger if we use stronger if we use a stronger magnetic field, move the
wire more rapidly, add greater number of coils
If you keep magnet or coil moving, you produce a p,d, that keeps swapping direction producing an
alternating current
 For current

Induced current
Induced current opposes movement of magnet by creating magnetic field
When we insert north pole, end of coil becomes North pole. This repels magnet, making it harder to
push magnet in.
When we push north pole out, end of coil becomes south. This attracts magnet, making it harder to
pull magnet out
Since it is harder to move magnet, this means that we are doing work. As a result we are transferring
energy from movement of magnet into movement of current
General graph stuff for Alternators and Dynamos
Height of line at given point is generated p.d. at time
Increasing frequency of revolution increases overall p.d. but also creates more peaks
Alternators
Alternator generate AC
Slip rings and brushes allow current to pass out of coil
Coil is attached to 2 different rings
Maximum p.d. is when coil is horizontal e.g. in image 1. At this point, wire is sweeping directly
through magnetic field lines at fastest possible rate
When coil is vertical p,d. difference falls to zero. At this point, coil is not cutting through magnetic field
lines.
1. Alternators rotate a coil in a magnetic field or a magnet in a coil
2. As coil/magnet spins, current is induced in coil, which changes direction every half turn producing
an AC
We can increase the size of the AC, if we increase number of turns on coil, increase strength of
magnetic field and increase area of coil
If we increase rotation speed of coil, we increase size and frequency of current
Dynamos
Dynamos generate direct current
Dynamos have split-ring commutator instead of slip rings, which have two sides separated by a gap
Side of coil moving down/up is always same by swapping connection every half turn to keep current
flowing in same direction
2 peaks for each full rotation of coil because each side of coil passes through magnetic field twice
Graph is not straight but is still direct current as it is always positive

Microphone
Uuse generator effect
1.Sound waves hit diaphragm attached
2. This causes coil of wire to move in the magnetic field generating current
3. Movement of coil and generated current depend on properties of sound wave. Loud sounds make
the diaphragm move further
4. Microphone convert pressure variations of sound wave into variations in current in an electrical
circuit
Transformers
Transformers change the p.d. but only for AC as we need a changing magnetic field to induce a p.d.
but direct current creates constant magnetic field
1. All transformers have primary and secondary coils of wire joined with an iron core. Iron because it
is easily magnetised.
2. When alternating p.d. is applied across primary coil, iron core magnetises and demagnetises quickly
3. This changing magnetic field induces an alternating p.d. in secondary coil
4. If secondary coil is part of complete circuit, this causes a current to be induced
5.The ratio between primary and secondary p.d. is the same as ration between number of turns on
primary and secondary coils
Step up transformers step p.d. up as they have more turns on secondary than primary
Step-down step p.d. down as they have more turns on primary than secondary

Since/If transformers are almost 100% efficient: