PHYSICS LAB REPORT: ELECTROMAGNETIC

INDUCTION

BY:

Adegoke Olubusi

DATE: 11/01/2010
 A magnetic domain is region in which the magnetic fields of atoms are grouped together

and aligned. In the experiment given, the magnetic domains are indicated by the arrows in the

metal material. You can think of magnetic domains as miniature magnets within a material. In an

unmagnetized object all the magnetic domains are pointing in different directions. But, when the

metal became magnetized, which is what happens when it is rubbed with a strong magnet; all

like magnetic poles lined up and pointed in the same direction. The metal became a magnet. It

would quickly become unmagnetized when its magnetic domains returned to a random order.

The metal in our experiment are paper clips, which means that it is easily magnetized but

may not retain its magnetism very long. Rubbing the magnet on the paper clips turned them into

magnets. The more you drag the magnet over the paper clip, the stronger the paper clip will

become magnetized. When we rubbed the magnet over the surface of the metal, some of the

magnetic domains aligned and the metal became partially magnetized. When we rubbed the

magnet over the metal a second time, more of the magnetic domains became aligned and the

metal became a stronger magnet. However, after removing the magnetic pins, I noticed that the

pins were no longer attached to one another. Thus, their magnetic strength was no longer present.

A temporary magnet can become a permanent magnet by continually stroking the

temporary magnet with a permanent magnet. In addition, one would notice that the material

becomes harder physically.

The lack of retraceability of the magnetization curve is the property called hysteresis and

it is related to the existence of magnetic domains in the material. A hysteresis loop shows the

relationship between the induced magnetic flux density (B) and the magnetizing force (H).
Understanding magnetic hysteresis is vitally important to the development of the science of

magnetism as a whole and to the advancement of practical magnetic device applications.

Works Cited

“Magnetic Domains.” Web. 23 Oct. 2010. http://www.ndt-

ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/MagParticle/Physics/MagneticDo

mains.htm