Edexcel GCSE Physics
Topic 12: Magnetism and the motor effect
Notes
(Content in bold is for Higher Tier only)
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Magnetism
- Like poles repel (North-North, South-South).
- Opposite poles attract.
- Magnetic materials are typically Cobalt, Steel, Iron, and Nickel.
Permanent Magnets
- Always magnetic, always have poles.
o Used in speakers, compasses, and electric generators.
1. www.hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu
Induced Magnets
- Materials that are “magnetic” but do not have fixed poles, ie. Magnetism must be induced.
- These can be made into temporary magnets by ‘stroking’ them with a permanent magnet
o This aligns all domains in the material in the same direction, creating a temporary
magnet
o Electromagnets use temporary magnetic material in their core
- After time, or after a knock, the domains move into random positions, so magnetism will be
lost.
Magnetic Fields
- Field Lines point from North to South
- Field strength decreases with distance from the magnet
- Direction always points to south pole and away from north pole, at any point
- Plotting Compasses are small compasses which show the direction and shape of a magnetic
field at a given point.
Earth’s Core
- The core is magnetic, and creates a large magnetic field around the Earth
- We know this because a freely suspended magnetic compass will align itself with the earth’s
field lines and point North.
- A compass is effectively a suspended Bar Magnet, with its own north pole lining up with
Earth’s North pole
o This cannot be right - like poles repel
o So in fact, Earth’s magnetic pole in the north is a magnetic South Pole and the
geographic south pole is close to the magnetic North Pole
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Current
- Current produces a magnetic field around a wire
- The direction is dictated by the “right hand rule”
- Plotting compasses on a piece of paper through which a wire is
pierced shows this
- Current direction is perpendicular to the magnetic field
direction http://www.excelatphysics.com
Strength of Magnetic Field
- Magnetic field strength depends on current size; Greater current, stronger magnetic field
- Strength also varies with distance from the conductor; Greater distance from wire, weaker
field
Solenoids
- Magnetic Field Shape is similar to a bar magnet
- Coiling the wire causes the field to align and form a giant single, almost uniform field along
the centre of the Solenoid.
- Having an iron core in the centre increases its strength as it is easier for magnetic field lines
to pass through than air
- The fields from individual coils cancel inside to produce a weaker field outside the solenoid
- Factors that affect strength of field:
o Size of current
o Length
o Cross sectional area
o Number of turns (coils)
o Using a soft iron core
Current Carrying Wires and Magnets
- Wire with a current near a magnet?
o The current produces a magnetic field, which interacts with the magnet’s field
o The force experienced on the conductor is equal and opposite to the force felt on
the magnet
- Magnetic forces are felt due to interaction between any two magnetic fields
Force
- Two magnets will interact, feeling a magnetic force of attraction/repulsion
- A magnet and a wire will also exert a force, as the two magnetic fields (generated by the
magnet and the current in the wire) will interact
o The magnetic field around a wire is circular, but the magnetic field between two
magnets is straight
o When the two interact, the wire will be pushed away from the field between the
poles (at right angles to the wire direction and the field direction)
- To visualise this:
o Fixed permanent magnets have field lines along the x
axis, as the magnets are at A and B and the field lines
are shown
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o Wire is along the y axis, where current is moving up from C to D
o The Force felt on the wire is at right angles to both the direction of the current and
magnetic field lines along the z axis
Fleming’s Left Hand Rule
- Each component is at 90⁰ to the others
- Use this to work out the unknown factor out of the
three (usually the direction of the force felt)
- Remember current is conventional current (motion of
positive charge), which moves in opposite direction to
electron flow.
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 = (𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒙 𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚) × (𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕)
× (𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉)
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𝑭 = 𝑩𝑰𝑳
- Where Magnetic Flux Density is measured in Tesla [T]
o The number of flux lines per metre squared
Motors
- A coil of wire in between two permanent magnets
- Current flows through the wire, and the magnetic field it produces interacts with the
magnets
- One side of the coil gets forced down, the other side gets forced up
o This causes the coil to rotate
o Use the Left Hand Rule to verify which side moves up or down
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