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electromagnetism
Learning outcomes
• describe and explain the behaviour of permanent magnets,
including induced magnetism
• explain magnetisation and demagnetisation of ferromagnetic
materials in terms of magnetic domains
• describe how magnetic fields arise from moving charges, e.g.
in current-carrying straight wires, plane coils and solenoids
• describe how a transformer works, in terms of transformer
turns, currents & voltages
• describe the vectors involved in motor and dynamo effects
• explain why electricity is transmitted at high voltage
• experience relevant demonstration & class experiments
Overview
• contexts for teaching about electromagnetism
• permanent magnets
• electromagnets
• Lenz’s law
Circus of experiments
Misconceptions
• All metals are magnetic materials.
Bar magnet
Microscopic structure
demagnetised
Demagnetise a magnet
• by dropping or banging randomly
• by heating
• by applying a diminishing AC current
Magnetic induction
A permanent magnet can induce temporary magnetism
in a ‘soft’ magnetic material.
• This causes attraction, but cannot cause repulsion.
• Use repulsion to test if an object is already magnetised.
Magnetic field of a straight wire
NB: Here
field lines
are closed
loops.
N S
Length of a solenoid is L
• Use iron or steel core (increasing permeability, )
• Increase the current, I
• Increase wraps or turns of solenoid, N.
N
B I
L
Uses of electromagnetism
• loudspeaker
• moving coil microphone
• motors of various designs
• electric bell or buzzer (can be made in class, URLS below)
• moving coil galvanometer (ammeter)
Fleming’s
left hand
rule
Model loudspeaker
http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/practical-physics/model-
loudspeaker
homopolar motor
Parallel currents
SEP unit
Transformer
the ‘turns-ratio equation’
Ideal transformer
power in primary coil = power in secondary coil
F qE v B
has two components:
E, electric field due to stationary charge(s).
B, magnetic field due to moving charge(s) - currents - with
relative velocity v.
• can be superposed e.g. E = E1 + E2 + …