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Magnetism Notes

The document explains the principles of electromagnetism, detailing how a magnetic field is generated around a wire when current flows through it. It describes the characteristics of a solenoid and methods to enhance its magnetic field strength, such as increasing the number of turns, current, or adding an iron core. Additionally, it distinguishes between soft and hard magnetic materials, emphasizing the importance of using soft materials in solenoids for easy magnetization and demagnetization.

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Poulomi Chakraborty
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2 views

Magnetism Notes

The document explains the principles of electromagnetism, detailing how a magnetic field is generated around a wire when current flows through it. It describes the characteristics of a solenoid and methods to enhance its magnetic field strength, such as increasing the number of turns, current, or adding an iron core. Additionally, it distinguishes between soft and hard magnetic materials, emphasizing the importance of using soft materials in solenoids for easy magnetization and demagnetization.

Uploaded by

Poulomi Chakraborty
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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Science Doctor KS3 Science Workbook

Electromagnetism
Any time a current flows through a wire, a magnetic field is formed around the wire. This is
called an electromagnet. The magnetic field can be made stronger by increasing the
current.
The magnetic field is strongest near to the wire and gets weaker further away.
If the current stops flowing, then the magnetic field also stops.
The field around a current carrying wire is in concentric circles around the wire. The circles
are closer together closer to the wire. This shows that the magnetic field is strongest nearer
the wire. We can see what direction the magnetic field goes in by using the right hand rule.
Here, you point the thumb on
your right hand along the direction of current. The direction that your fingers point give the
direction of the magnetic field. This is shown in the diagram to the right. The current is
labelled I, and the magnetic field is labelled B.
We could also show the direction of the field by using plotting compasses in the same way
that we used them to show the shape of a magnetic field around a bar magnet.

OpenStax, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia


Commons

A coil of wire is called a solenoid. A solenoid creates a


magnetic field in the same pattern as a bar magnet. The
magnetic field is strongest inside a solenoid. There are three
ways to increase the strength of the field produced by a
solenoid:
1. Increase the number of turns in the coil.
2. Increase the current.
3. Add an iron core.
Iron is an example of a soft magnetic material. A soft
magnetic material can be easily magnetised and de-
magnetised. This is an advantage as we want
P.Sumanth Naik, CC BY-SA 3.0
<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- electromagnets to be able to easily turn their magnetism on
sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
and off. A hard magnetic material is difficult to magnetise
and de-magnetise. A hard material shouldn’t be used in the core of a solenoid as it would
retain some magnetism.
Q1. State what has to flow through a wire to create an electromagnet.
Science Doctor KS3 Science Workbook

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Q2. Describe what a solenoid is.


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Q3. Where is the magnetic field produced by a solenoid strongest?


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Q4. State three ways of making the magnetic field around a solenoid stronger.
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Q5. Describe the difference between a soft magnetic material and a hard magnetic material.
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Q6. State one example of a soft magnetic material.


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Q7. Describe why hard magnetic materials are not placed in a solenoid.
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Q8. State what happens to the strength of the magnetic field as you go further from a current carrying
wire.
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Q9. Describe the shape of a magnetic field around a current carrying wire.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Q10. State what the direction of the thumb represents in the right hand rule.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Q11. State what the direction of the fingers represent in the right hand rule.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Q12. Other than using the right hand rule, state how we could show the direction of a field around a
current carrying wire.
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