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    Magnetism Notes

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    Keoh Leong Bee

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    Magnetism Notes

    Uploaded by

    Keoh Leong Bee
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    Magnetism notes

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    Magnetism Notes

    Uploaded by

    Keoh Leong Bee

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Physics IGCSE: Magnetism and Electromagnetism

    Revision Summary
    Magnetic fields

    A magnet has a magnetic field around it. This field is strongest at its poles.

    The arrows always point from the North pole to the South pole.

     Opposite poles will attract.


     Similar poles will repel.

    Currents and magnetic fields

    All currents have a magnetic field around them.

    A straight wire has a circular magnetic field around it. A coil of wire has a magnetic
    field around it, that is the same shape as a bar magnet.

    If the conventional current flows the other way, the magnetic field will be in the
    opposite direction. As you move further away from the wire, the magnetic field gets
    weaker, which is why the lines are drawn further apart.

    These types of magnets are called electromagnets.

    Electromagnets are far more useful than permanent magnets because:


    1. They can be switched on and off.
    2. The strength of the magnetic field can be changed, by altering the current.
    3. They can easily be made into a variety of shapes and are less expensive to make.

    The magnetic field around a coil electromagnet can be increased by:

    1. Increasing the current in the wire.


    2. Putting more loops on the coil
    3. Placing an iron or steel core inside of the coil.

    Iron and steel behave slightly differently as cores, because iron is magnetically
    soft and steel is magnetically hard.

    Magnetically soft (iron) Magnetically hard (steel)

    Easy to magnetise.
    Harder to magnetise.

    Loses its magnetism quickly


    Stays magnetic after the current is switched off.
    when the current is switched off.

    Most electromagnetic devices use iron as the core, because they want the magnetism
    to change quickly.

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