Teacher Thidar (IGCSE Physics)
Summary : Unit 6 Magnetism and electromagnetism
Magnetic materials are iron, cobalt, nickel, and steel.
Not all metals are magnetic materials.
Iron is magnetically soft material. It is easy to lose its magnetism.
It is used to make electromagnet/temporary magnet.
Steel is magnetically hard material. It keeps its magnetism once it has been
magnetized.
It is used to make bar magnet/permanent magnet.
Strongest parts of a magnet are called its poles.
There are attractive and repulsive magnetic forces between two magnets.
Like poles repel and unlike poles attract.
There is only attractive magnetic force between magnet and magnetic materials.
Uniform magnetic field
Uniform magnetic field can be created by facing the opposite poles of two bar magnets
and using a U-shaped magnet.
Uniform magnetic field lines are a series of straight lines, which are evenly spaced.
Its direction and strength are the same everywhere.
Induced magnetism
If we placed an object made from a magnetic material inside a magnetic field,
magnetism has been induced in the object.
If the object is made with magnetically soft material such as iron, its induced
magnetism is temporary and disappears if the permanent magnet is removed.
If the object is made with magnetically hard material such as steel, it retains its
magnetism after the permanent magnet is removed.
Changing the direction of the current, changes the direction of the magnetic field.
Magnetic field around a flat coil
Magnetic field around a solenoid
Direction of magnetic field can be reversed by changing the direction of current.
Position of the poles for a solenoid can be determined by using the right hand grip
rule.
Your thumb points to the north pole.
Your fingers point in the direction of the
current.
In this diagram, current is anticlockwise direction.
Making Electromagnet
First, wrap the wire into a coil.
Then, connect it with a cell.
When a current flows into a coil, magnetic field is produced around the coil. It is
magnetized. It becomes electromagnet.
To increase the strength of magnetic field, insert a magnetically soft material such
as iron into the coil.
Uses of electromagnet
1. Electric Bell
2. Circuit breaker
1. Working principles of electric bell
Pressed the bell push, the circuit becomes complete, the current flows in the
circuit.
As a result, the soft iron core of the electromagnet becomes magnetized and
attracts the armature.
When the armature is pulled down, the hammer strikes the bell.
At the same time, a gap is created at the contact screw and the circuit becomes
incomplete and the current is cut off.
The electromagnet is now turned off, so the springy metal strip pulls the armature
up to its original position.
The circuit is again complete and the whole process begins again and producing a
sound.
2. Working principles of circuit breaker
Circuit breaker uses electromagnet to cut off the current if it becomes larger than a
certain value.
If the current is too high the electromagnet becomes strong enough to pull the iron catch
out of position.
So that the contacts open and the circuit breaks.
Once the problem in the circuit has been corrected the catch is repositioned by pressing
the reset button.
Motor effect (due to overlapping magnetic fields)
Used LRH to determine the directions of field, current and force(motion)
Direction of (conventional) current is the same as the direction of positive charged
particles (proton, positive ions,…).
Uses of motor effect
electric motor
moving coil loudspeaker
Electric Motor
DC Motor: In a motor, electrical energy is transformed into mechanical energy.
The purpose of the brushes and the commutator in the d.c. motor.
Commutator (split-ring) is used in d.c motor to reverse/swap out the current in the coil every half
turn to keep the motor turning in the same direction.
Brushes are used to conduct the current from the stationary wire to the loop of wire (rotor) of a
motor (or) Brushes are connected to the commutator which allows the current to flow into the
loop of wire (rotor).
When the loop reaches the vertical position, there is no force acting on the loop of wire.
Electromagnetic Induction
(KE transferred to electrical energy)
What is electromagnetic induction?
If a conductor is moved through a magnetic field so that it cuts field lines, an e.m.f (electromotive
force) voltage is induced in it.
In a complete circuit, the induced voltage (e.m.f) makes a current flow.
If there is no cutting action between the wires and field lines (both wires and magnets
are stationary), no voltage is generated.
Uses of electromagnetic induction
dynamo (small generator)
alternator (generator that is produced a.c current)
Dynamo (small generator)
As the cyclist pedals, the wheel rotates and
makes a small magnet within the dynamo turn
around.
As this magnet turns, its magnetic field turns
too.
The field lines cut through the coil inducing a
current in it.
This current can be used to work the cyclist’s
lights.
When the cyclist has stopped, dynamo
produced no current.
alternator (generator that is produced a.c current)
In a generator, mechanical energy is transformed into electrical energy when there is motion
between a conductor and a magnetic field.
As the coil rotates, its wires cut through magnetic field lines and a current is induced in
them. Force exerted on the coil, coil moves up through the magnetic field and down for
each turn of the coil.
As a result the current is induced first in one direction and then in the opposite direction.
This kind of current is called alternating current.
A generator that produces alternating current is called an alternator.
Slip ring in a.c generator is a electromechanical device that allows the transmission of
electrical power and electrical signals between a stationary and rotating coils.
Brushes are two contacts which rubs against the slip rings and keep the coil connected to
the outside part of the circuit.
The frequency of an alternating current is the number of complete cycles produced each
second.
50 Hz of a.c current means 50 complete cycles produced each second.
In dynamo, coil is stationary and magnet rotates.
In generator, magnet is stationary and the coil rotates.
In direct current the charge flows in Alternating current keeps changing direction.
one direction.
Transformer
The size of the voltage generated in the secondary coil of a transformer depends on the
voltage in the primary coil and number of turns on each coil.
Step up transforme Step down transformer
Ns > Np Ns < Np
Vs > Vp Vs < Vp
Vp = alternating input voltage Vs = alternating output voltage
Np = number of turns on primary coil Ns = number of turns on secondary coil
Transformer equation
Explain how a current is induced in the core of a transformer/ Working process of transformer
An alternating current is supplied to the primary coil. The current is
continually changing direction. This means it will produce a changing magnetic
field around the primary coil.
The iron core is easily magnetised, so the changing magnetic field passes through it. As a
result, there is now a changing magnetic field inside the secondary coil.
This changing field cuts through the secondary coil and induces a voltage.
As the magnetic field is continually changing the voltage induced will be alternating.
If the secondary coil is part of a complete circuit it will cause an alternating current to
flow. As iron is magnetically soft material
Note
The alternating potential difference will have the same frequency as the alternating
current supplied to the primary coil.
In a transformer to keep any energy loses to a minimum,
Thick copper wire is used for the coils to reduce the temperature by lowering the
resistance of the wire as the cross sectional area of wire is inversely proportional to the
resistance of wire.
The thicker the wire, the lower the electrical resistance of the wire.
A soft iron core is covered with a thin layer of plastic to reduce the energy losses
through Eddy current in the iron core.
Transformer and national grids
The currents in long wire can lose lots of energy in the form of heat.
The larger the current, the greater the amount of energy lost.
Immediately after generation, step up transformer is used to increase the voltage and
decrease the current to reduce the energy lost.
High voltage is very dangerous, cables are supported high above the ground on pylons.
As the cables enter towns and cities, they are buried underground.
Step down transformer is used to increase the current and to decrease the voltage to safe
level
2022 June 2PR
5(c)(ii) The iron core of a transformer is an electrical conductor. When the transformer is in use,
the primary coil causes a changing magnetic field in the iron core. This causes a small current to
be induced in the core. Explain how a current is produced in the core of the transformer.
Changing magnetic field cuts the iron core, voltage is induced across in it.
As the iron is a conductor, it has many free electrons.
Induced voltage causes a force that exerts on the electrons so that the electrons will flow.
Flow of electron makes the current in the core of the transformer.
Working principle of loudspeaker
1. Electric currents from a source (such as radio) which represent the sound pass through a coil
of a speaker.
2. Since that current in the coil of speaker is alternating current, it is always changing in size and
direction that generates magnetic fields whose size and direction keep changing.
3. The coil is surrounded by permanent magnet so the magnetic fields of the coil overlap/interact
with the magnetic field from the permanent magnet which causes a force on the wires of the coil.
4. That force is changing in size and direction which moves the coil forward and backward.
5. These movements make the loud speaker cone/paper cone to vibrate and this creates the sound
waves we hear.
Notes:
1. By changing the frequency of the a.c supply, we can change the frequency that the cone
vibrates.
Higher frequency sound will produce a higher pitch sound
2. If we increase the size of the current, then we increase the amplitude of the vibration. And, this
increases the voice of the sound.
May 2020 1P
When the handle turns, it makes the coil to rotate.
Rotation coil cuts through the magnetic field lines of the permanent magnet, voltage is
induced (produced).
*** Please be careful, it is not motor effect.
1. Electric currents from a source (such as radio) which represent the sound pass through
a coil of a speaker.
2. Since that current in the coil of speaker is alternating current, it is always changing in
size and direction that generates magnetic fields whose size and direction keep changing.
3. The coil is surrounded by permanent magnet so the magnetic fields of the coil
overlap/interact with the magnetic field from the permanent magnet which causes a force
on the wires of the coil.
4. That force is changing in size and direction which moves the coil forward and
backward.
5. These movements make the loud speaker cone/paper cone to vibrate and this creates
the sound waves we hear.
Use a large current
Use more turns of wire on loudspeaker coil
Increase the strength of magnet
2020 June 2P
Using a plotting compasses, we can find the shape of the magnetic field produced by
the loop of wire.
Place the large number of plotting compasses around the wire.
Look the pattern that shows by the needle of magnets.
In each position, the needles of compasses line up with the field line.
Make a pencil dot at the end of the needle in each position of the compass.
Then, draw the line connecting the dots.
It will show the shape of magnetic field around the wire.
C and D are not correct, as direction of force, field and current are perpendicular
each other.
