Section 6: Magnetism and electromagnetism

Units

Ampere (A) current Volt (V) voltage Watt (W) - power

Magnets

Magnets are able to attract objects made from magnetic materials, e.g. iron, steel, nickel and cobalt. Magnets cannot attract objects made from nonmagnetic materials, e.g. plastic, wood, paper, rubber, etc. The strongest parts of a magnet are its poles. Most magnets have two poles: north and south. If two similar poles are placed near each other, they repel. If two dissimilar poles are placed near each other, they attract.

Magnetically hard materials Are used as permanent magnets. Retain its magnetism once it has been magnetised. E.g. steel

Magnetically soft materials Are used as temporary magnets. Lose their magnetism easily. E.g. iron

Magnetic field

Magnetic field is a volume of space around every magnet where magnetism can be detected.

Magnetic field lines (flux lines)

Does not actually exist, but visualises the main features of a magnetic field 1. Show the shape of the magnetic field 2. Show the direction of the magnetic field the field lines travel from north to south 3. Show the strength of the magnetic field the field lines are closest together where the magnetic field is strongest

Magnetic induction

Magnetism can be induced in a magnetic material when they are placed in a magnetic field (may be done deliberately) It can also happen if a magnetic material is left in one position, since the Earths magnetic field will gradually induce magnetism in them.

Field of cylindrical bar magnet

Field of parallel magnets

Field of attracting magnets

Field of repelling magnets

Field of anti-parallel magnets

Uniform magnetic field pattern

When North and South poles are placed near each other, there is an almost uniform field between the two poles

Electromagnetism

An electric current in a conductor, e.g. a wire, produces a magnetic field around it. A soft metal, e.g. iron core, is made into a magnet by the passage of electric current through a coil surrounding it.

Wire

The field around the wire is quite weak and circular in shape. The direction of the magnetic field depends upon the direction of the current, and can be found using the right-hand grip rule. The strength of the magnetic field around a currentcarrying wire can be increased by:

Increasing the current in the wire Wrapping the wire into a coil or solenoid Wrapping the coil of wire around an iron core

Magnetic field pattern for straight wire

Magnetic field pattern for flat circular coil

Solenoid

The shape of the magnetic field around a solenoid is the same as that around a bar magnet. The position of the poles can be determined using the right-hand grip rule. The poles of the solenoid can be reversed by reversing the direction of the current. (direction of magnetic field is reversed) The strength of the field around a solenoid can be increased by:

Increasing the current flowing through the solenoid Increasing the number of turns on the solenoid Wrapping the solenoid around a magnetically soft core e.g. iron this combination of soft iron core and solenoid is often referred to as an electromagnet

Magnetic field pattern for solenoid

There is a force on a charged particle when it moves in a magnetic field, as long as its motion is not parallel to the field.

Movement from electricity overlapping magnetic fields

If we pass a current through a piece of wire perpendicular to the magnetic field of a magnet, the wire will move. This motion is caused by a force created by overlapping magnetic fields around the wire and the magnet. (motor effect)

The motor effect

A cylindrical magnetic field is created around a wire when current flows along it. In certain places, the fields are in the same direction. They reinforce each other, producing a strong magnetic field. In other places, the fields are in opposite directions, producing a weaker field. The wire experiences a force, pushing it from the stronger part of the field to the weaker part. The force exerted on the wire/current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field can be increased by:

Increasing the strength of the field Increasing the current

Catapult field

Flemings Left Hand Rule

The direction of motion of the wire can be predicted using Flemings Left Hand Rule. (when a wire carries a current perpendicular to a magnetic field)

Moving-coil loudspeaker

It uses the motor effect to change electrical energy into sound energy. Signals from a source, e.g. amplifier, are fed into the coil of the speaker as currents that are continually changing in size and direction. The overlapping fields of the coil and the magnet therefore create rapidly varying forces on the wire of the coil, which cause the speaker cone to vibrate. These vibrations create the sound waves we hear.

Electric motor

As current passes around the loop of wire, one side of it will experience a force pushing it upwards. The other side will feel a force pushing it downwards, so the loop rotates. Because of the split ring commutator, when the loop is vertical, the connections to the supply through the brushes swap over, so that the current flowing through each side of the loop changes direction. The wire at the bottom is now pushed upwards, and the wire at the top is pushed downwards this makes the loop carry on turning. The arrangement of the brushes and split ring changes direction of the current flowing through the loop every half turn, making the rotation continuous.

The rate at which the motor turns can be increased by:

Increasing the number of turns of wire (to make a coil) Increasing the strength of the magnetic field Increasing the current flowing through the loop of wire The permanent magnets are replaced with curved electromagnets capable of producing very strong magnetic fields. The single loop is replaced with several coils of wire wrapped on the same axis. This makes the motor more powerful and allows it to run more smoothly. The coils are wrapped on a laminated soft iron core. This makes the motor more efficient and more powerful.

Practical motors differ from that described above:

Electromagnetic induction

A voltage is induced in a conductor/wire when we move it across a perpendicular magnetic field. If the wire is part of a complete circuit, a current flows. The size of the induced voltage (and current) can be increased by:

Moving the wire more quickly Using a stronger magnet Increasing the number of turns of the coil so that more pieces of wire move through the magnetic field

The direction of the induced current can be reversed by reversing the direction of movement.

A voltage and current can also be generated by pushing a magnet in a coil. The size of the induced voltage can be increased by:

Moving the magnet more quickly Using a stronger magnet Using a coil with more turns Using a coil with a larger cross-sectional area

It shows that

A voltage and current are generated when a conductor, e.g. a wire, cuts through the magnetic field lines. The faster the lines are cut, the larger the induced voltage and current. Faradays Law of Electromagnetic Induction: The size of the induced voltage across the ends of a wire (coil) is directly proportional to the rate at which the magnetic lines of flux are being cut.

Dynamo a simple generator

As the cyclist pedals, the wheel rotates and a small magnet within the dynamo spins around. As the magnet turns, its magnetic field cuts through the surrounding coil inducing a current in it. This current can be used to work the cyclists lights. The size of the induced voltage can be increased by:

Moving the magnet more quickly Using a stronger magnet Increasing the number of turns of the coil

Generators

As the coil rotates, its wires cut through magnetic field lines and a current is induced in them. The wire on each side moves up through the field and then down for each turn of the coil. As a result, the current induced in the coil flows first in one direction then in the opposite direction. This is called alternating current. A generator that produces alternating current is called an alternator. The frequency of an alternating current is the number of complete cycles it makes each second. (Hz)

Transformers

An alternating current passing through the primary coil causes a changing magnetic field in the soft iron core. As it cuts through the wires of the secondary coil, an alternating voltage is induced across that coil. The size and direction of the induced voltage changes as the voltage applied to the primary coil changes. An alternating voltage applied across the primary coil therefore produces an alternating voltage across the secondary coil. This combination of two magnetically linked coils is called a transformer.

The closer together the two coils, the stronger the magnetic field. The laminated iron core are strips of iron joined together There is an extended magnetic field from the iron core.

Transformers and the UK National Grid

The UK National Grid is a network of wires and cables that carries electrical energy from power stations to consumers, e.g. factories and homes. Electricity has to be transferred at a high voltage so that the current is very low, in order to prevent energy loss in the cables. (P = IV) If current is high in the cables, the wires carrying the current will heat up and a lot of electrical energy will be lost as heat energy.

Transformers are therefore used to step up the voltage at the power station end and to step down the voltage at the users end. Electricity can only be transmitted as alternating current ,but not direct current, because transformers do not work with DC.

A transformer changes the size of an alternating voltage by having different numbers of turns on the input and output sides. (primary and secondary coils) If there are less turns in the primary coil than the secondary coil, the voltage is stepped up. If there are more turns in the primary coil than the secondary coil, the voltage is stepped down.

Input power = output power

OR

Pin = Pout
OR

IpVp = IsVs
(for 100% efficiency)