Electromagnetism

02 January 2023 10:10 PM

Oersted's discovery demonstrated a link between magnetism and electricity. It showed that
magnetism appeared to result from charges in motion, and that a magnetic field exists
around a current-carrying
conductor.

Another link was made by Faraday showing that a changing magnetic field could give rise
to and electric current.

Investigating Magnetic Fields Around Current Carrying Conductors

AS stiff piece of cardboard is supported horizontally. The conductor being investigated

should pass through a gap in the cardboard such that it is not touching the cardboard.
When current from a low-voltage supply is switched on a plotting compass is used to
determine the direction of the field. The field pattern is obtained by marking dots as near as
possible to the ends of the compass needle and subsequently joining consecutive dots.

The field due to a flat, circular current can be investigated in a similar way. This coil is
made by winding insulated wire around a former like a plastic tube or hollow cardboard
cylinder.

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A solenoid (longer coil) can be made by winding stiff wire using a former.

The magnetic field associated with a solenoid is identical to that of a bar magnet. Magnetic
field lines are directed out of the North pole and into the South of a current-carrying coil.
The direction of the field can be obtained using the right hand grip rule.

Right-Hand Grip Rule

• For a straight conductor: Imagine gripping the wire with the right hand such that the
thumb is in the direction of the current, the finger will then be in the direction of the
magnetic field
• For a coil: Imagine gripping the coil with the fingers of the right hand in the direction of
the current, the thumb will then indicate the direction of the magnetic field.

Electromagnets
An electrical coil wound around a soft iron core. The core significantly increases the
strength of the magnetic field when the current flows

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Uses of Electromagnets - Electromagnetic Relay
Relays are used as switches for high current circuits. They provide a layer of safety by
allowing the user to control the high current circuit using a switch to a low current switch.

When switch S1 is closed, the current in the coil creates a magnetic field which magnetises
the soft iron reeds. The adjacent ends of the reeds become opposite poles which attract each
other and complete the circuit connected to the terminals T 1 and T2

Another type of relay can also be connected to a vehicle starter motor.

When switch s1 is closed, the current in the coil magnetises the electromagnet, causing it to
attract the soft iron armature. The armature then rocks on its pivot and closes the graphite
contacts, completing the circuit connected to T 1 and T2.

In a vehicle, S2 is the ignition key.

Electromagnetic Force
Force on a Current Carrying Conductor
If a current-carrying conductor is brought near a magnet or into another magnetic field, it
will experience a force. The 2 magnetic fields interact, and this interaction shows itself in the

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will experience a force. The 2 magnetic fields interact, and this interaction shows itself in the
electromagnetic force (EMF)

Investigating EMF

Apparatus is setup such that a smooth, thick wire, W, is free to roll along two smooth,
conducting rails. It's placed between the N-pole and S-pole of a curved magnet. When the
current is switched on in the circuit, W will gain its own magnetic field. This magnetic
field will interact with that of the magnet, moving W. This shows that W experiences Electro
Magnetic Force.

Fleming's Left-Hand Rule

Position the fingers of the left hand such that the thumb, 1st finger and 2nd finger are at
right angles to each other, forming an a, x, z axis.

Th first finger is pointed in the direction of the field, the second finger in the direction of the
current and the thumb is the direction of the force.

Flux Patterns and EMF

Magnetic flux is a quantity related to the strength of a magnetic field. The stronger the
field, the larger amount of lines of magnetic flux perpendicular to a given area.

Where magnetic lines of force are close together, magnetic flux is greater. The strength of a
magnetic field in a region can be represented as the magnetic flux per unit area - called the
flux density.

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The force a current-carrying conductor experiences when placed in a magnetic field is related
to flux density of the field.

The flix density in a straight, isolated, current-carrying wire, is greatest near the wire
The right hand grip rule can be used to determine the magnetic flux pattern due to a straight
conductor

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This diagram shows the magnetic flux pattern for a current carrying-conductor going into
the page at right angles to a uniform field. I region A, the flux lines are close and the flux
density is higher. At be the lines are wide4ly spaced and the flux density is lower, therefore
magnetic forces would be greater at A than B.

The wire will therefore move from A toward B, i.e. from a region of higher flux density to a
region of lower flux density. At neutral point X, opposite fields cancel each other out

Fleming's Left-Hand Motor Rule can be used to determine the direction the conductor would
move

Factors Affecting Size of Electromagnetic Force

There are 3 factors affecting the size of the E.M.F:
• The size of the current
• The size of the magnetic field
• The length of a conductor in the field
As these increase, the E.M.F also increases. These factors are all directly proportional to the
E.M.F

Applications of EMF
Simple DC Motor
A rectangular coil is connected to 2 conducting half rings, R 1 and R2. The current from the
DC source enters the coil via the 2 conducting carbon brushes, B 1 and B2, which rub against
the split-ring as it rotates with the coil.

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The coil lies in a magnetic flied which is perpendicular to its axis.

When the current is switched on, the sides of the coil move according to the emf on them,
which can be predicted using Fleming's left-hand rule. The emf in opposite in opposite
directions at right angles on both sides of the coil produces a torque / moment which rotates
the coil.
When the coil rotates into position (b), the brushes are no longer in contact with the half-
ring. Even if there was still current flowing through the coil at this point, it would still
experience no torque since both sides would experience equal emf in the same direction.
However, the momentum of the coil allows it to continue rotating to position (c)

Electromagnetic Induction
Faraday's Experiments
In one In this experiment, a coil of copper wire wrapped around a paper tube was connected to a
sensitive galvanometer. The needle of the galvanometer showed a deflection both when a
magnet was thrusted into the coil, and pulled out of the coil. No deflection was shown when
the magnet remain stationary inside or out of the coil

This showed that an electric current was induced in the copper wire. An emf would have been
induced into the copper wire, resulting in a current.

The size of the induced current depends on:

• The number of turns in the coil
• The area of the coil
• The strength of the magnet

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 • The strength of the magnet
• The speed with which the magnet was thrust into or pulled out of the coil

Magnetic flux and Induced EMF

Magnetic flux is the measure of the number of magnetic field lines passing through the are
perpendicular to the field lines. There is no flux through a coil whose plane is parallel to the
magnetic flux. There is maximum flux through the face of a coil whose plan is perpendicular
to the magnetic field

The amount of flux passing through the face of a coil is the flux linking the coil, i.e., the
magnetic flux linkage.

Faraday concluded that an EMF is induced when there is a change in the flux linking the
coil

Factors Affecting the Size of Induced EMF

Faraday's Law:
The size of the EMF induced in a circuit is directly proportional to the rate of change of
magnetic flux linking the circuit

The same apparatus setup as Faraday's experiment can be used to test the magnitude of the
induced emf, using a millivoltmeter instead if a galvanometer, to measure the induced
voltage directly.

Direction of Induced EMF

Lenz's Law
The direction of the induced current is such as to oppose the change giving rise to it.

Straight Conductor
The direction of an induced emf on a straight conductor can be predicted using Fleming's
Left Hand Rule

Applications of Electromagnetic Induction - The AC Generator

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The coil is rotated with sides P and Q cutting through the magnetic field. This induces and
emf which drives current around the circuit in accordance to Fleming's Right-Hand
(generator) Rule.

Every half revolution, the side of the coil which previously moved downward, moves upward
through the field, reversing the direction of the emf and producing an alternating voltage.

The alternating voltage is transferred to the external circuit by a pair of slip rings which rub
against a pair of fixed graphite brushes. This ensures that each side of the coil is always
connected to the same output terminal.

The slip rings are rigidly connected to a shaft and the coil and therefore they rotate together..
They prevent the tangling of the wires connected to the external circuit.

The Transformer

A primary coil is connected to AC supply of voltage V p and a secondary coil delivers a

voltage Vs to the output device. Both coils are wrapped around a soft iron coil.

The alternating current in the primary coil produces a changing magnetic field which
repeatedly grows into, and diminishes from, the secondary coil, inducing an alternating
voltage within it.

This demonstrates mutual induction - when an EMF is induced in a coil by flux change
from another coil

• The soft iron core allows the magnetic flux to easily pass from the primary to the
secondary coil.
• An alternating current is used because a DC will not produce a changing magnetic
field. The field will only momentarily changed when the source is switched on

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 field. The field will only momentarily changed when the source is switched on
• Fuses are placed in the primary coil as this protects both coils from high currents.

When the secondary coil has less turns than the primary coil, this is called a step down
transformer. A step down transformer causes a decrease in voltage.

Conversely, when the number of turns on the secondary coil is more than that on the
primary coil, this is called a step up transformer. This causes an increase in voltage.

Given an ideal transformer, where no energy or power losses occur between the primary and
secondary coils:

If we let
Vp = voltage in primary coils
Vs = voltage in secondary coils
Ip = Current in primary coils
Is = Current in secondary coils
Np = number of turns ion primary coils
Ns = number of turns in secondary coils

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