CHAPTER 13

13.1 MAGNETS AND MAGNETIC MATERIALS

Magnets are useful things because they can be used to hold cupboard doors shut, used in
electric motors and generators, headphones and loudspeakers.

Permanent magnets
Permanent magnets come in different shaped and sizes. They can be used to attract other
objects, for example paper clips made of steel.
A permanent magnet is an object which stays magnetized for a long time. It doesn’t stop
being a magnet after it has been used.

Magnetic materials
Magnetic material is a material which is attracted by a magnet. Not all metals are magnetic
materials. Magnetic materials (IRON, COBALT, STEEL and NICKEL).

13.2 MAGNETIC POLES

Magnets attract magnetic materials. There is a magnetic force which pulls on a piece of steel
when a magnet attracts it. Magnetic force is strongest at the end of the magnet (magnetic
poles). The poles are called the north pole (N) and the south pole (S). If you hand up a bar
magnet so that it is free to turn around, it will turn until one end points towards the north and
the other will point towards the south.

MAGNET RULES
Like poles repel each other. Unlike poles attract each other.

Making a magnet
1. Stroking methods: lay the piece of iron on the bench, use one pole of the magnet and stroke
it gently from one end to the other, stroke it several times using the same pole.

13.3 MAGNETIC FIELD PATTERNS

A magnet can attract a piece of magnetic material without touching it because the magnet is
surrounded by a magnetic field. Any magnetic material placed in the field will be attracted by
the magnet.

The shape of the field

A magnetic field is invisible. There are two ways to show up the shape of the magnetic field
around a bar magnet:
1. Use iron filling. The tiny pieces of iron cluster together and line up to show the pattern of
the field
2. Use small compasses called plotting compasses. They show the direction of the field.

Magnetic field lines

We can represent the magnetic field of a magnet by drawing magnetic field lines. The lines
start from a north pole and end up at a south pole. They show 2 things about the field:
1. The arrows show the direction of the field
2. When the lines are closest together, the field is strongest.
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The magnetic Earth

A compass needle points north-south because the Earth has a magnetic field. It is as if there
were a giant magnet inside the Earth. A compass points along the lines of the Earth’s
magnetic field.

13.4 MAKING AN ELECTROMAGNET

Permanent magnets are useful because they are always magnetic. There is a second type of
magnet, called an electromagnet, which is different. It works using electricity and it can be
switched on and off.
You only need a coil of wire and a battery or low voltage power supply to make an electric
current flow through the coil.
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Switching on and off

It is easy to switch electricity on and off. This means that we can switch an electromagnet on
and off. This is made use of in a scrapyard where heavy metals objects are moved around
using a crane. On the end of the crane is an electromagnet instead of a hook.

An improved electromagnet
In order to get a stronger electromagnet, wrap the wire around a piece of iron, called a core.
Iron is a magnetic material. When a current flow in the coil, the iron becomes magnetized and
this makes the magnetic field of the electromagnet much stronger.

13.5 A STRONGER ELECTROMAGNET

Electromagnets have many different uses.

1. They are used in electric motors and generators
2. They are used in doorbells and in electric switches called relays
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How to make a stronger electromagnet?

- Make a coil with more turns of wire. When the wire is longer, the electric current
flows through it, making a stronger magnetic field.
- Make a bigger electric current flow in the coil of wire. Connect two batteries to the
coil instead of one. This will make a bigger electric current flow so that the magnetic
field will be stronger.

Measuring electric current

If you use two batteries instead of one, the current in the electromagnet will be twice as great.
In order to measure the current, you can use an instrument called an ammeter. Electric current
is measured in units called amps, symbol A.
If you use a low-voltage power supply instead of batteries, you will be able to adjust it to
control the value of the current.