by Michael Mackie

Created on: February 28, 2010   Last Updated: March 03, 2010

Magnetic Poles

“He who controls magnets controls the universe”

All magnets have a north and south pole. If the north (seeking) pole is brought close to the south (seeking) pole, they attract one another. If like poles are brought too close together, they desist one another. This force of the interaction between magnetic poles: F:P1 P2/d2 where P1 and P2 depict the power of the magnetic poles. D represents the distance of the magnets.

Magnetic Fields

A magnetic field is generalized by the motion of an electric charge. Electrons in the atoms of a magnet are in constant motion. There are two kinds of electron motions which produce magnetism. The first being the electron spin. The second being the electron revolution. In most magnets, the electron spin is the primary contributor to magnetism. The electron spin being; each individual electron that is spinning on its axis. The electron revolution, being the electron revolving around the atom around the magnet. Every spinning electron is a magnet. The more electrons spinning in the same direction, will produce a more powerful magnetic field. Quite contrary to this; electrons spinning in opposite directions produce a weaker magnetic field. Most atoms produce electrons spinning in opposite directions. This is why most things are not magnets. Magnetic Domains are when a magnetic field is strong enough to cause other atoms to form clusters, which line up with each other.

Electric Currents and Magnetic Fields

An electromagnetic, is a magnet that has an electrical current flowing through it. The strength of the magnet that has an electrical current flowing through it. The strength of the magnet can be increased or decreased by changing the amount of electrical current.

Electromagnetic Induction

Electromagnetic Induction was discovered by a Michael Farady and a Joseph Henry. Both independent with no knowledge of each other. Faraday in England and Henry in the United States. They discovered electric current could be created in a wire simply by moving a magnet into or out of a coil of wire. The motion of a magnet in the wire loop was the key between the wire loop and the magnetic field. The more loops that were interacting with and moving with a magnetic field, produces a greater induced voltage. The amount of voltage also depends on how rapidly the magnetic field is entering or leaving the coil. (Voltage induced- number of loops x magnetic field change/time)

Faraday’s Law

Faraday’s Law summarizes electromagnetic

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>