MAGNETISM

• Natural magnets
• Artificial magnets

• Magnetic materials: easily

attracted by a magnet, like
iron, steel, nickel, cobalt
• Non-magnetic materials: not
attracted by a magnet, like
wood, rubber, aluminium,
copper, stone, sand
 Properties of a magnet
• Attractive property of a
magnet: A magnet exerts force
of attraction on magnetic
substances called magnetic
force.
• Directive property of a • Property of coexistence of poles:
magnet:
Properties of a magnet
• Like poles repel and unlike poles
attract
• The strength of a magnet is
maximum at its poles and
minimum at its centre.
 Magnetic field around a magnet:
• The region of space around a magnet where its magnetic
force can be experienced by nearby objects is called magnetic
field. The magnetic field around a magnet decreases with
distance.
 Magnetic compass
• Device based on the directive property of
a magnet
• Used by sailors and navigators to find
geographical directions

Magnetic lines of force around

a bar magnet
 Properties of magnetic lines of force
• Each line is a closed and continuous curve.
• The direction of the lines is from the north pole to the south
pole outside the magnet and from the south pole to the north
pole inside the magnet.
• They will never intersect each other.
• They are crowded near the poles where the magnetic field is
strong.
 Earth’s magnetic field
• Geographical axis: line joining the geographic north pole to
the geographic south pole.
• Magnetic axis: line joining the magnetic north pole to the
magnetic south pole
• There is a difference of 11.5° between the geographical axis
and the magnetic axis.
 Making of magnets
• Single touch method
• Double touch method
 Making of magnets
• Magnetic
induction

• Electrical method
Electromagnets
 Properties of an electromagnet
• Magnetism of an electromagnet is not permanent, it is
temporary.
• Strength of magnetic field can be changed, it depends on:
➢ Strength of the current: more the strength of the current,
more is the strength of the magnetic field
➢ Number of turns of the coil: strength of the magnet is
increased if there are more number of turns
➢ Nature of the material of the core
Simple electromagnet
 Differences between a permanent
magnet and temporary magnet
Permanent magnet Temporary magnet
Shows magnetic properties at Shows magnetic property as
all times long as the magnetising force is
present
Magnetic strength cannot be Magnetic strength can be
changed changed
Polarity cannot be changed Polarity can be changed by
reversing the direction of the
magnetising force
Not easily demagnetised Easily demagnetised
 Uses of magnets
• Uses of permanent magnets
➢ Used in magnetic compass
➢ Magnetic strips are used in credit cards and ATM cards to
store information
➢ Used in doors of refrigerators for closing mechanism
• Uses of temporary magnets
➢ Employed in magnetic separation equipments for separation
of iron ores in industries, for picking up and moving heavy iron
objects like scrap iron
➢ Used in electric bells
 Differences between permanent
magnet and electromagnet
Permanent magnet
Usually made of steel
Poles are permanent
Strength of the magnet cannot be
changed
Produces a permanent magnetic field
Electromagnet
Usually made of soft iron
Poles can be reversed by reversing the
direction of current
Strength of the electromagnet can be
changed by changing the number of
turns of the wire, or by changing the
magnitude of current
Produces a temporary magnetic field
which is lost as soon as the current stops
flowing
 Demagnetisation
• It is the process of destroying magnetism of a magnet.
• It is the opposite of magnetisation.
• It can be done by
➢ Heating the magnet to a very high temperature
➢ Hammering the magnet repeatedly
➢ Passing alternating electric current around the magnet