MAGNETS

Magnets
Properties

Have magnetic
fields around
them.
N S
 Magnets
Properties Have two opposite poles (N & S) –
like poles repel, unlike poles attract.
Have magnetic
fields around
them.
N S
 Magnets
Properties Have two opposite poles (N & S) –
like poles repel, unlike poles attract.
Have magnetic
fields around
them.
N S Exert little or no
force on a non-
magnetic
material.
 Magnets
Properties Have two opposite poles (N & S) –
like poles repel, unlike poles attract.
Have magnetic
fields around
them.
N S Exert little or no
force on a non-
magnetic
Attract magnetic material.
materials by inducing
magnetism in them. N

Iron Steel
 Magnets
Properties Have two opposite poles (N & S) –
like poles repel, unlike poles attract.
Have magnetic
fields around
them.
N S Exert little or no
force on a non-
magnetic
Attract magnetic material.
materials by inducing
magnetism in them. N
S S

N N

Poles induced in both iron and steel.

 Magnets
Properties Have two opposite poles (N & S) –
like poles repel, unlike poles attract.
Have magnetic
fields around
them.
N S Exert little or no
force on a non-
magnetic
Attract magnetic material.
materials by inducing
magnetism in them. N S

N
Iron loses
magnetism – it was Steel retains magnetism
only a temporary – it became a permanent
magnet magnet
 Magnets – make your own!
How strong is it?

N S
Not very. S

Placing a piece of steel near a magnet

makes it permanently magnetised, but its
magnetism is usually weak.
 S
Magnets – make your own!
How strong is it?

Wide sweep away

N
from the steel
Getting stronger.

N S
Induced poles

The magnet can be magnetized more

strongly by stroking it with one end of a
magnet
 Magnets – make your own!
How strong is it?

Steel

Strongest!

Coil

The best way of magnetizing is to place the

steel bar in a long coil of wire and pass a
large, direct (one way) current through the
coil. The coil has a magnetic effect which
magnetizes the steel.
 Magnets – how do they work?

Just what is N S
happening inside
the magnet to make
it magnetic?
 Magnets – how do they work?
We need to look closely at what is
happening to the particles (electrons)
inside the magnet.

Just what is N S
happening inside
the magnet to make
it magnetic?
 Magnets – how do they work?
We need to look closely at what is
happening to the particles (electrons)
inside the magnet.

Just what is N S
happening inside
the magnet to make
it magnetic?
In an unmagnetized material, the
tiny electrons, or atomic magnets
point in random directions.
 Magnets – how do they work?
We need to look closely at what is
happening to the particles (electrons)
inside the magnet.

Just what is N S
happening inside
the magnet to make
it magnetic?
When the material becomes
magnetized, more and more of the
tiny atomic magnets line up with
each other. They act as one BIG
magnet.
 Magnets – how do they work?
We need to look closely at what is
happening to the particles (electrons)
inside the magnet.

Just what is N S
happening inside
the magnet to make
it magnetic?
If a magnet is hit with a hammer, the
tiny atomic magnets get thrown out of
line again, so the material becomes
demagnetised.
 Magnets – how do they work?
We need to look closely at what is
happening to the particles (electrons)
inside the magnet.

Just what is N S
happening inside
the magnet to make
it magnetic?
If a magnet is hit with a hammer, the
tiny atomic magnets get thrown out of
line again, so the material becomes A magnet will also become
demagnetised. demagnetized if heated to
high temperature.
Magnetic and non-magnetic
 Magnetic and non-magnetic
Magnetic material – can be
magnetized, and is attracted to
magnets. Strongly magnetic materials
contain iron, nickel or cobalt (eg. Steel
is mainly iron).
 Magnetic and non-magnetic
Magnetic material – can be
magnetized, and is attracted to
magnets. Strongly magnetic materials
contain iron, nickel or cobalt (eg. Steel
is mainly iron).

Ferromagnets

Hard magnetic materials, eg.

Steel, alloys (Alcomax,
Magnadur). Difficult to
magnetise, but do not lose
their magnetism. Used for
permanent magnets.
 Magnetic and non-magnetic
Magnetic material – can be
magnetized, and is attracted to
magnets. Strongly magnetic materials
contain iron, nickel or cobalt (eg. Steel
is mainly iron).

Ferromagnets

Hard magnetic materials, eg. Soft magnetic materials, eg.

Steel, alloys (Alcomax,
Magnadur). Difficult to
magnetise, but do not lose
their magnetism. Used for
permanent magnets.
Iron, Mumetal. Relatively
easy to magnetise, but
magnetism is temporary.
Used in electromagnets and
transformers.
 Magnetic and non-magnetic
Magnetic material – can be
magnetized, and is attracted to
magnets. Strongly magnetic materials
contain iron, nickel or cobalt (eg. Steel
is mainly iron).
Non-magnetic materials.
Metals (brass, copper, zinc,
tin and aluminium); non-
Ferromagnets metals.

Hard magnetic materials, eg. Soft magnetic materials, eg.

Steel, alloys (Alcomax,
Magnadur). Difficult to
magnetise, but do not lose
their magnetism. Used for
permanent magnets.
Iron, Mumetal. Relatively
easy to magnetise, but
magnetism is temporary.
Used in electromagnets and
transformers.
Magnetic fields
Magnetic fields

Iron filings sprinkled

around a magnet

Magnetic field lines around

the magnet
Magnetic fields

Iron filings sprinkled

around a magnet

Field lines run from the north

pole (N) to the south pole (S).
The magnetic field is
strongest where the field lines
are closer together.

Magnetic field lines around

the magnet
 Magnetic fields
Using a plotting compass to find the
field lines.

N S
 Magnetic fields
Using a plotting compass to find the
field lines.

N S
 Magnetic fields
Using a plotting compass to find the
field lines.

N S
 Magnetic fields
Using a plotting compass to find the
field lines.

N S
 Magnetic fields
Using a plotting compass to find the
field lines.

N S
 Magnetic fields
Using a plotting compass to find the
field lines.

N S
 Magnetic fields
Using a plotting compass to find the
field lines.

.
.
.
.
N S
 Magnetic fields
Using a plotting compass to find the
field lines.

http://www.physbot.co.uk/magnetic-fields-and-induction.html
 Magnetic fields
Interactions between magentic fields

When unlike poles are placed near each

other, their magnetic fields combine to
produce a single field of almost uniform
strength.

http://www.homofaciens.de/technics-magnetic-field-energy_en_navion.htm
 Magnetic fields
Interactions between magentic fields
Neutral point

When unlike poles are placed near each When like poles are placed near each other,
other, their magnetic fields combine to their magnetic fields cancel each other, and
produce a single field of almost uniform there is a neutral point where the combined
strength. field strength is zero.

http://www.homofaciens.de/technics-magnetic-field-energy_en_navion.htm
The Earth’s magnetic field

The Earth’s magnetic field is like that

around a very large, but very weak, bar
magnet.
The Earth’s magnetic field

The Earth’s magnetic field is like that

around a very large, but very weak, bar
magnet.

A compass ‘north’ end points north.

But a north pole is always attracted to a
south pole, so the Earth’s magnetic
south pole must actually be in the
north.
The Earth’s magnetic field

The Earth’s magnetic field is like that

around a very large, but very weak, bar
magnet.

A compass ‘north’ end points north.

But a north pole is always attracted to a
south pole, so the Earth’s magnetic
south pole must actually be in the
north.

The Earth’s magnetic north is actually

over 1200km away from the true
geographic north pole.
 The Earth’s magnetic field
Over a period of time
the Earth’s magnetic
pole will ‘flip’. The Earth’s magnetic field is like that
around a very large, but very weak, bar
magnet.

A compass ‘north’ end points north.

But a north pole is always attracted to a
south pole, so the Earth’s magnetic
south pole must actually be in the
north.

The Earth’s magnetic north is actually

over 1200km away from the true
geographic north pole.
 The Earth’s magnetic field
Over a period of time
the Earth’s magnetic
pole will ‘flip’. The Earth’s magnetic field is like that
around a very large, but very weak, bar
magnet.

A compass ‘north’ end points north.

But a north pole is always attracted to a
south pole, so the Earth’s magnetic
south pole must actually be in the
north.

The Earth’s magnetic north is actually

In the last 10 million years, over 1200km away from the true
there have been, on average, geographic north pole.
4 or 5 ‘flips’ per million
years.
Electromagnets
Distinguish between
the design and use of
permanent magnets and
electromagnets
Electromagnets
Distinguish between
the design and use of
permanent magnets and
electromagnets

Unlike bar magnets, which are

permanent magnets, the
magnetism of electromagnets
can be turned on and off.
 Electromagnets
Distinguish between
the design and use of
permanent magnets and
electromagnets

Unlike bar magnets, which are

permanent magnets, the
magnetism of electromagnets
can be turned on and off.

Permanent magnet uses:

1. Needles of compasses.
2. Fridge door seals, holding
the doors closed.
3. Loudspeakers and
microphones.
 Electromagnets
Distinguish between
the design and use of
permanent magnets and
electromagnets

switch battery
Unlike bar magnets, which are
permanent magnets, the
magnetism of electromagnets coil
can be turned on and off.
Soft iron
core
Permanent magnet uses: When a current flows
1. Needles of compasses. through the coil it
2. Fridge door seals, holding produces a magnetic
the doors closed. field. This field is
3. Loudspeakers and temporary and is lost
microphones. when the current is
switched off.
 Electromagnets
Distinguish between
the design and use of
permanent magnets and
electromagnets

switch battery
Unlike bar magnets, which are
permanent magnets, the
magnetism of electromagnets coil
can be turned on and off.
Soft iron
core
Permanent magnet uses: When a current flows Strength increased by:
1. Needles of compasses. through the coil it - Increasing the current
2. Fridge door seals, holding produces a magnetic - Increasing number of turns
the doors closed. field. This field is
3. Loudspeakers and temporary and is lost
microphones. when the current is
switched off.
 Electromagnets
Distinguish between
the design and use of
permanent magnets and
electromagnets

switch battery
Unlike bar magnets, which are
permanent magnets, the
magnetism of electromagnets coil
can be turned on and off.
Soft iron
core
Permanent magnet uses: When a current flows Strength increased by:
1. Needles of compasses. through the coil it - Increasing the current
2. Fridge door seals, holding produces a magnetic - Increasing number of turns
the doors closed. field. This field is
3. Loudspeakers and temporary and is lost Uses: scrapyard electromagnets,
microphones. when the current is circuit breakers, relays, electric bells.
switched off.