Magnetism

Molecular Theory of Magnet and Magnetic Effect of Electric Current

 What is Magnetism?
▪ Force of attraction or repulsion due to electron arrangement
▪ Magnetic forces are the strongest at the poles
▪ Magnets have two poles: North and South
▪ When free to rotate, to come to rest pointing in a north-south
direction
▪ Like magnetic poles repel
▪ Unlike magnetic poles attract
Types of Magnetism
 Ferromagnetism (Permanent Magnet)
▪ Ferromagnetism is the basic mechanism by which certain
materials (such as iron) form permanent magnets. This means the
compound shows permanent magnetic properties rather than
exhibiting them only in the presence of an external magnetic field
▪ In a ferromagnetic element, electrons of atoms are grouped into
domains in which each domain has the same charge. In the
presence of a magnetic field, these domains line up so that
charges are parallel throughout the entire compound. Whether a
compound can be ferromagnetic or not depends on its number of
unpaired electrons and on its atomic size.
 Paramagnetism
(Attracted to Magnetic Field)
▪ Paramagnetism refers to the magnetic state of an atom with one or more
unpaired electrons.
▪ The unpaired electrons are attracted by a magnetic field due to the
electrons' magnetic dipole moments.
▪ Hund's Rule states that electrons must occupy every orbital singly before
any orbital is doubly occupied. This may leave the atom with many
unpaired electrons.
▪ Because unpaired electrons can spin in either direction, they display
magnetic moments in any direction. This capability allows paramagnetic
atoms to be attracted to magnetic fields. Diatomic oxygen, O2 is a good
example of paramagnetism (described via molecular orbital theory).
 Diamagnetism
(Repelled by Magnetic Field)
▪ As shown in the video, molecular oxygen ( O2 ) is paramagnetic and is
attracted to the magnet. In contrast, molecular nitrogen ( N2 ) has no
unpaired electrons and is diamagnetic; it is unaffected by the magnet.
▪ Diamagnetic substances are characterized by paired electrons, e.g., no
unpaired electrons. According to the Pauli Exclusion Principle which
states that no two electrons may occupy the same quantum state at the
same time, the electron spins are oriented in opposite directions.
▪ This causes the magnetic fields of the electrons to cancel out; thus there
is no net magnetic moment, and the atom cannot be attracted into a
magnetic field. In fact, diamagnetic substances are weakly repelled by a
magnetic field as demonstrated with the pyrolytic carbon
 Types of Magnet
▪ Natural magnet: known as lodestones which is a type of iron ore with
magnetic properties
▪ Artificial magnet : materials in which magnetic properties are produced
artificially such as iron, cobalt, nickel, steel etc.
▪ Temporary magnet : that loses their magnetic properties easily and
quickly e.g. soft iron
▪ Permanent magnet : which retain their properties more longer and
difficult to magnetise e.g. steel
▪ Electromagnet : an electric current produces magnetic effects and a coil
of wire carrying a current act as an electromagnet
 Molecular Theory of Magnetism
▪ If we break a magnet into two parts, each part
become a complete magnet
▪ Individual molecule of the magnet act as a tiny
molecular magnet
▪ Their magnetic properties may be due to electrons
rotation in their orbits, which constitute minute
electric current and thus produce magnetic properties
▪ When material is unmagnetized, molecular magnets
lie in haphazard manner and their magnetic
properties neutralize each other
▪ When material is magnetized, the molecular magnets
are arranged in an order so that their properties
augmented and become apparent
▪ Heating or hammering a magnet accelerate loss of
magnetic properties why?
▪ Point of saturation: is a point where further
magnetizing a magnet cannot increase the strength of
a magnet and all molecular magnets are fully aligned
Theory of Magnetism
 Properties of Magnet
▪ Setting in north-south direction: utilized in compass
▪ Behavior of like and unlike poles
▪ Magnetic field
▪ Attraction for objects of magnetisable material
▪ Transmission of properties
–Magnetization by contact
–Magnetic induction
 Magnetic Field
▪ A magnetic field is the area around magnet in which magnetic
forces are apparent
▪ Travel away from north and towards south pole
▪ Magnetic field lines are close continuous curves
▪ No two lines intersect each other
▪ Tend to repel each other helps distribution of magnetic field
▪ Travel more easily through magnetizable material than others
▪ Magnets have two ends or poles, called north
and south poles. At the poles of a magnet, the
magnetic field lines are closer together.
▪ Unlike poles of magnets attract each other and
like poles of magnets repel.
 Transmission of Properties
▪ Stroke a piece of iron or steel with one pole
of bar magnet
▪ Same pole is used throughout, and stroke is
carried out in same direction
▪ Same polarity where stroke commence and
opposite polarity where stroke finishes
▪ If north pole of magnet is used it will attract
the south poles of molecular magnets of
steel or iron and draws them towards the
point where it leaves the bar
 Magnetic Induction
▪ Production of magnetic properties in an object by magnet
without contact
▪ Demonstrated by using a magnet to pick up some
paperclips or iron tacks.
▪ The paperclip in contact with the magnet attracts another
paperclip due to the fact that it has become magnetized.
▪ This second paperclip is also magnetized and so on
▪ Opposite polarity develop at adjacent end and same
polarity at far end
▪ As unlike pole attract each other and repel like pole
 Magnetic Effect of Electric Current

Magnetic field around a straight wire

▪ An electric current sets up magnetic field around a
conductor through which it pass
▪ The shape of the magnetic field lines for a straight
conductor is concentric circles.
▪ These concentric circles become larger as we move
away from the wire.
 Demonstration
▪ Take a thick copper wire and pass it
through a horizontal cardboard as shown.
▪ Pass a strong current through the wire.
▪ Sprinkle iron filings on the cardboard
around the wire.
▪ Tap the cardboard gently. You would see a
pattern as shown here.
▪ You may plot the field lines with a
compass needle also.
 Right-hand Thumb Rule
▪ When you wrap your right hand around
the straight conductor such that the
thumb points in the direction of the
current, the fingers will wrap around the
conductor in the direction of the field
lines of the magnetic field.
▪ Anticlockwise if current flow from
negative to positive
▪ Clockwise if flow from positive to
negative
 Magnetic field around coil of
wire
▪ The magnetic field lines are circular at the points
where the current enters or leaves the wire
▪ Within the space enclosed by the coil, the field lines
are in same direction and parallel to each other and
uniform
▪ Magnetic lines are clockwise in upper turns, positive
to negative
▪ Magnetic lines are anticlockwise in lower turns, so
direction is towards positive
▪ Emerging from north pole and returning to south
pole
 Magnetic Polarity
▪ Magnetic poles lie at end of coil and polarity of each
pole depends upon:
1. Direction of current flow: reversal of current reverses
direction of mag. lines of forces
2. Direction in which coil wound
Many rules for determining magnetic polarity assume
the current flow to be from positive to negative
 Electromagnet
▪ Consist of coil of wire wound on a soft iron bar
▪ When current pass through the coil, magnetic field set up
and soft iron core is magnetised by induction, so that its
field is added to that produced by current.
▪ A strong magnetic field is produced, which can turn on and
off as required by starting or stopping current
▪ Soft iron is chosen for core because it can be easily
magnetized and demagnetized
Electromagnet