ELECTROMAGNET

IC INDUCTION
WHAT IS THE
GIRL DOING?
 The girl on the left in this photo is
riding a stationary bike. She’s getting
exercise, but that’s not the real
reason she’s riding the bike. She’s
using her muscle power to generate
electricity through a process called
electromagnetic induction.
 WHAT IS ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION?

Electromagnetic induction is the process of

generating electric current with a magnetic field. It
occurs whenever a magnetic field and an electric
conductor, such as a coil of wire, move relative to
one another. As long as the conductor is part of a
closed circuit, current will flow through it whenever
it crosses lines of force in the magnetic field. One
way this can happen is illustrated in the Figure 
below. The sketch shows a magnet moving through
a wire coil. 
Q: WHAT IS ANOTHER WAY THAT A COIL OF WIRE AND MAGNET
CAN MOVE RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER AND GENERATE AN
ELECTRIC CURRENT?
A: The coil of wire could
be moved back and forth
over the magnet.
 THE CURRENT PRODUCED BY A MAGNET

The device with the pointer in the Figure above

 is an ammeter. It measures the current that
flows through the wire. The faster the magnet
or coil moves, the greater the amount of
current that is produced. If more turns were
added to the coil or a stronger magnet were
used, this would produce more current as well.
 • The Figure below shows the
direction of the current that is
generated by a moving magnet.
If the magnet is moved back and
forth repeatedly, the current
keeps changing direction. In
other words, alternating
current (AC) is produced.
Alternating current is electric
current that keeps reversing
direction.
 How Electromagnetic Induction Is Used

• Two important devices depend on electromagnetic

induction: electric generators and electric 
transformers. Both devices play critical roles in
producing and regulating the electric current we
depend on in our daily lives. Electric generators use
electromagnetic induction to change kinetic
energy to electrical energy. They produce electricity
in power plants. Electric transformers use
electromagnetic induction to change the voltage of
electric current. Some transformers increase voltage
and other decrease voltage.
Q: How do you think the girl on
the exercise bike in the
opening photo is using
electromagnetic induction?
A: As she pedals the bike, the kinetic
energy of the turning pedals is used
to move a conductor through a
magnetic field. This generates
electric current by electromagnetic
induction.
 HTTPS://[Link]/JETMIA00_RC
• Summary
• Electromagnetic induction is the process of generating electric current with
a magnetic field. It occurs whenever a magnetic field and an electric
conductor move relative to one another so the conductor crosses lines of force
in the magnetic field.
• The current produced by electromagnetic induction is greater when the
magnet or coil moves faster, the coil has more turns, or the magnet is stronger.
If the magnet or coil is moved back and forth repeatedly, alternating current is
produced.
• Electric generators and electric transformers use electromagnetic induction to
generate electricity or change the voltage of electric current.
• What is electromagnetic induction? When does it occur?
• How could you increase the amount of current produced by
electromagnetic induction?
• Explain how a moving magnet and a coil of wire can be used to
produce alternating current.
• List two devices that use electromagnetic induction.
 When current keeps reversing direction, it is
called alternating current (AC). The current that
comes from a power plant and supplies electricity
to homes
and businesses is alternating current. The
current changes direction 60 times per second. It
happens so quickly that an electric light bulb
doesn’t have a chance to stop glowing when the
reversals occur.
MAGNETISM The train in this photo is called a maglev
train. The word maglev stands for
“magnetic levitation.” Magnets push the
train upward so it hovers, or levitates,
above the track without actually touching
it. This eliminates most of
the friction acting against the train when it
moves. Other magnets pull the train
forward along the track. Because of all the
magnets, the train can go very fast. It can
fly over the tracks at speeds up to 480
kilometers (300 miles) per hour! What are
magnets and how do they exert such force?
In this article, you’ll find out.
 MAGNETIC POLES
A magnet is an object that attracts certain materials such as iron. You’re
probably familiar with common bar magnets, like the one shown in
the Figure below. Like all magnets, this bar magnet has north and
south magnetic poles. The red end of the magnet is the north pole and the
blue end is the south pole. The poles are regions where the magnet is
strongest. The poles are called north and south because they always line
up with Earth’s north-south axis if the magnet is allowed to move freely.
(Earth’s axis is the imaginary line around which the planet rotates.)
 Q: What do you suppose would
happen if you cut the bar magnet
pictured in the Figure above along
the line between the north and
south poles?
A: Both halves of the magnet would also have north and
south poles. If you cut each of the halves in half, all those
pieces would have north and south poles as well. Pieces
of a magnet always have both north and south poles no
matter how many times you cut the magnet.
 MAGNETIC FORCE AND MAGNETIC FIELD
The force that a magnet exerts on certain materials, including other magnets, is
called magnetic force. The force is exerted over a distance and includes forces of
attraction and repulsion. North and south poles of two magnets attract each other,
while two north poles or two south poles repel each other. A magnet can exert
force over a distance because the magnet is surrounded by a magnetic field. In
the Figure below, you can see the magnetic field surrounding a bar magnet. Tiny
bits of iron, called iron filings, were placed under a sheet of glass. When the
magnet was placed on the glass, it attracted the iron filings. The pattern of the
iron filings shows the lines of force that make up the magnetic field of the
magnet. The concentration of iron filings near the poles indicates that these areas
exert the strongest force. You can also see how the magnetic field affects the
compasses placed above the magnet. 
 When two magnets are brought close
together, their magnetic fields interact.
You can see how they interact in
the Figure below. The lines of force of
north and south poles attract each other
whereas those of two north poles repel
each other. 
Summary

• A magnet is an object that attracts certain materials

such as iron. All magnets have north and south magnetic
poles. The poles are regions where the magnet is
strongest.
• The force that a magnet exerts is called magnetic force.
The force is exerted over a distance and includes forces
of attraction and repulsion. A magnet can exert force
over a distance because the magnet is surrounded by a
magnetic field
[Link]
• What is a magnet?
• Describe the magnetic poles of a bar magnet.
• Explain why a magnet can exert force over a
distance.
• Sketch two bar magnets that are arranged so
their magnetic fields attract each other. Label
the magnetic poles, and add arrows to represent
lines of force between the two magnets.
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIAL
This collection of magnets is located in a familiar
place: a refrigerator door. No doubt you’ve
handled refrigerator magnets like the ones in this
photo. You probably know first-hand that they
stick to metal refrigerators but not to surfaces
such as wooden doors and glass windows. Wood
and glass aren’t attracted to a magnet, whereas
the steel refrigerator is. Obviously, only certain
materials respond to magnetic force.
 WHAT MAKES A MATERIAL MAGNETIC?
Magnetism is the ability of a material to be attracted by a
magnet and to act as a magnet. Magnetism is due to the
movement of electrons within atoms of matter. When
electrons spin around the nucleus of an atom, it causes
the atom to become a tiny magnet, with north and south
poles and a magnetic field. In most materials, the north
and south poles of atoms point in all different directions,
so overall the material is not magnetic. Examples of
nonmagnetic materials include wood, glass, plastic,
paper, copper, and aluminum. These materials are not
attracted to magnets and cannot become magnets.
 In other materials, there are regions where the north
and south poles of atoms are all lined up in the same
direction. These regions are called magnetic domains.
Generally, the magnetic domains point in different
directions, so the material is still not magnetic.
However, the material can be magnetized (made into a
magnet) by placing it in a magnetic field. When this
happens, all the magnetic domains line up, and the
material becomes a magnet. You can see this in
the Figure below. Materials that can be magnetized
are called ferromagnetic materials. They include iron,
cobalt, and nickel.
 TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT MAGNETS
• Materials that have been magnetized may become
temporary or permanent magnets.
• If you bring a bar magnet close to pile of paper clips,
the paper clips will become temporarily magnetized, as
all their magnetic domains line up. As a result, the
paper clips will stick to the magnet and also to each
other (see the Figure below). However, if you remove
the paper clips from the bar magnet’s magnetic field,
their magnetic domains will no longer align. As a result,
the paper clips will no longer be magnetized or stick
together. 
If you stroke an iron nail with a bar magnet, the nail
will become a permanent (or at least long-lasting)
magnet. You can see how it’s done in the Figure 
below. The nail’s magnetic domains will remain
aligned even after you remove the nail from the
magnetic field of the bar magnet.
 Q: Even permanent
magnets can be
demagnetized if they
are dropped or heated
to high temperatures.
Can you explain why?
 A: Jarring or heating a magnet moves the
magnetic domains out of alignment. When the
magnetic domains no longer line up in the
same direction, the material is no longer
magnetic.
 MAGNETITE
• Some materials are natural permanent magnets. The
most magnetic material in nature is the mineral
magnetite, also called lodestone (see Figure below).
The magnetic domains of magnetite naturally align with
Earth’s axis. The picture on the left shows a chunk of
magnetite attracting small bits of iron. The magnetite
spoon compass shown on the right dates back about
2000 years and comes from China. The handle of the
spoon always points north. Clearly, the magnetic
properties of magnetite have been recognized for
thousands of years.
• Summary
• Magnetism is the ability of a material to be attracted
by a magnet and to act as a magnet. A material can be
magnetized if all of its magnetic domains can be
aligned. Magnetic domains are regions of matter
where north and south poles of atoms line up in the
same direction.
• Only certain materials, called ferromagnetic materials,
can be magnetized. They include iron, cobalt, and
nickel. Materials that have been magnetized may
become temporary or permanent magnets.
• Some materials are natural permanent magnets. The
most magnetic material in nature is the mineral
magnetite
• Define magnetism.
• Why is an atom like a tiny magnet?
• What are magnetic domains?
• What is unique about ferromagnetic materials? List three ferromagnetic
materials.
• Explain how you can make a permanent magnet from an iron nail.
• What is magnetite?
[Link]
EARTH AS A MAGNET
DID YOU EVER USE A COMPASS
LIKE THE ONE IN THIS PICTURE?
EVEN IF YOU’VE NEVER USED A
COMPASS, YOU PROBABLY KNOW
THAT THE NEEDLE OF A COMPASS
ALWAYS POINTS NORTH. THAT’S
BECAUSE A COMPASS NEEDLE IS
MAGNETIZED, SO IT IS ATTRACTED
BY A MAGNET.

Q: WHAT MAGNET ATTRACTS A

COMPASS NEEDLE?
 A: A compass needle is attracted by
magnet Earth. It always points north
because Earth acts as a giant magnet.
 EARTH’S MAGNETIC POLES

Imagine a huge bar magnet passing through Earth’s

axis, as in the Figure below. This is a good
representation of Earth as a magnet. Like a bar
magnet, Earth has north and south magnetic poles.
A magnetic pole is the north or south end of a
magnet, where the magnet exerts the most force.
 TWO NORTH POLES
Although the needle of a compass always points north, it doesn’t
point to Earth’s north geographic pole. Find the north geographic
pole in the Figure below. As you can see, it is located at 90°
north latitude. Where does a compass needle point instead? It
points to Earth’s north magnetic pole, which is located at about
80° north latitude. Earth also has two south poles: a south
geographic pole and a south magnetic pole.
Q: The north end of a compass needle points toward
Earth’s north magnetic pole. The like poles of two
magnets repel each other, and the opposite poles attract.
So why doesn’t the north end of a compass needle point
to Earth’s south magnetic pole instead?
A: The compass needle actually does point to the
south pole of magnet Earth. However, it is called
the north magnetic pole because it is close to the
north geographic pole. This naming convention was
adopted a long time ago to avoid confusion.
 EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD

Like all magnets, Earth has a magnetic field. Earth’s

magnetic field is called the magnetosphere. You can see
a model of the magnetosphere in the Figure below. It is a
huge region that extends outward from Earth in all
directions. Earth exerts magnetic force over the entire
field, but the force is strongest at the poles, where lines of
force converge.
• Summary
• Earth acts as a giant magnet with magnetic poles and a
magnetic field over which it exerts magnetic force.
• Earth has north and south magnetic poles like a bar magnet.
Earth’s magnetic poles are not the same as the geographic
poles.
• Earth’s magnetic field is called the magnetosphere. It is
strongest at the poles.
• How does Earth act as a bar magnet?
• The compass in a car shows that the car is moving north.
Does this mean that the car is moving toward 90° north
latitude? Why or why not?
• Describe the magnetosphere.
[Link]
MAGNETIC FIELD REVERSAL
Do you like science fiction?
This is a fictional scene that is
set in the future. Science fiction
artists are so creative! They
might even describe a time
when compasses point south
instead of north. Actually, this
idea isn’t fiction—it’s a fact.
 CHANGING PLACES
• Earth’s magnetic poles have
switched places repeatedly in the
past. As you can see in the Figure 
below, each time the switch
occurred, Earth’s magnetic field was
reversed. The magnetic field is the
region around a magnet over which
it exerts magnetic force. We think of
today’s magnetic field direction as
“normal,” but that’s only because
it’s what we’re used to. 
 FACT, NOT FICTION
Scientists don’t know for certain why
magnetic reversals occur, but there is
hard evidence that they have for
hundreds of millions of years. The
evidence comes from rocks on the
ocean floor. Look at Figure below.
They show the same ridge on the ocean
floor during different periods of time.
• A. At the center of the ridge, hot magma pushes up through the crust and hardens
into rock. Once the magma hardens, the alignment of magnetic domains in the rock
is frozen in place forever. Magnetic domains are regions in the rocks where all the
atoms are lined up and pointing toward Earth’s north magnetic pole.
• B. The newly hardened rock is gradually pushed away from the ridge in both
directions as more magma erupts and newer rock forms. The alignment of magnetic
domains in this new rock is in the opposite direction, showing that a magnetic
reversal has occurred.
• C. A magnetic reversal occurs again. It is frozen in rock to document the change.
• Rock samples from many places on the ocean floor show that the north and south
magnetic poles reversed hundreds of times over the last 330 million years. The last
reversal was less than a million years ago.
 WHAT WILL HAPPEN THE NEXT TIME THE
EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD REVERSE? WATCH
THE VIDEO BELOW TO LEARN MORE:
[Link]
• Summary
• Earth’s magnetic poles have switched places repeatedly
over hundreds of millions of years, each time reversing
Earth’s magnetic field.
• Magnetic domains in rocks on the ocean floor provide
evidence for magnetic field reversals in the past. 
• What is a magnetic field reversal?
• Explain how rocks on the ocean floor provide hard
evidence that magnetic reversals occurred in the
past.
WHY EARTH IS A MAGNET
Did you ever see a globe
like this one? Magnets in
the globe and its stand
repel each other, allowing
the globe to hover in
midair. The globe is a
good model for Earth
the magnet. 
 EARTH THE MAGNET
Like the real Earth, the globe pictured above is a
magnet. A magnet is an object that has north and
south magnetic poles and a magnetic field. The
magnetic globe is a modern device, but the idea that
Earth is a magnet is far from new. It was first
proposed in 1600 by a British physician named
William Gilbert. He used a spherical magnet to
represent Earth. With a compass, he demonstrated
that it the spherical magnet causes a compass
needle to behave the same way that Earth causes a
compass needle to behave. This showed that a
spherical magnet is a good model for Earth and
therefore that Earth is a magnet.
Q: CAN YOU DESCRIBE EARTH’S MAGNETIC
POLES AND MAGNETIC FIELD?

A: Earth has north and south magnetic poles. The North

Pole is located at about 80 degrees north latitude. The
magnetic field is an area around Earth that is affected by
its magnetic field. The field is strongest at the poles, and
lines of magnetic force move from the north to the
south magnetic pole.
 SPINNING LIKE A TOP
Although the idea that Earth is a magnet is centuries old, the
discovery of why Earth is a magnet is a relatively new. In the early
1900s, scientists started using seismographic data to learn about
Earth’s inner structure. A seismograph detects and measure
earthquake waves. Evidence from earthquakes showed that Earth has
a solid inner core and a liquid outer core (see the Figure below). The
outer core consists of molten metals, mainly iron and nickel.
Scientists think that Earth’s magnetic field is generated by the
movement of charged particles through these molten metals in the
outer core. The particles move as Earth spins on its axis. 
[Link]
Launch the Field Lines simulation below to help you
visualize the invisible magnetic field that surrounds
the Earth. You can also travel to different planets in
the solar system and measure the properties of their
magnetic fields. Can you determine which planet has
the largest magnetic field? Which planet has no field?
Then, try to develop a hypothesis about why this
might be.
Summary
• In the 1600s, William Gilbert demonstrated that Earth is
basically a spherical magnet, with north and south poles
and a magnetic field.

• In the 1900s, scientists used earthquake data to determine

that Earth has a solid inner core and molten outer core.
Scientists think that Earth is a magnet because of charged
particles moving through the molten outer core as Earth
spins on its axis.
• How did Gilbert show that Earth is a magnet?
• Which would be a better model of Earth’s inner
structure: a peach or an orange? Explain your answer?
• Explain why Earth generates a magnetic field.
USING EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD

You may recognize the

eerie green glow in this
cold northern sky as the
northern lights, or
aurora borealis. But do
you know what causes
the northern lights?
Earth’s magnetic field is
 EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD
Like a bar magnet, planet
Earth has north and south
magnetic poles and
a magnetic field over which it
exerts magnetic force. Earth’s
magnetic field is called
the magnetosphere. You can
see it in the Figure below.
• Like an Umbrella
• The sun gives off radiation in solar winds. You can see solar
winds in the Figure above. Notice what happens to solar winds
when they reach the magnetosphere. They are deflected almost
completely by Earth’s magnetic field. Radiation in solar wind
would wash over Earth and kill most living things were it not for
the magnetosphere. It protects Earth’s organisms from radiation
like an umbrella protects you from rain.
 Q: NOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE NORTHERN LIGHTS?

A: Energetic particles in solar wind collide with

atoms in the atmosphere over the poles,
and energy is released in the form of light. The
swirling patterns of light follow lines of magnetic
force in the magnetosphere.
 FINDING THE WAY
Another benefit of Earth’s magnetic field is its use for navigation.
People use compasses to detect Earth’s magnetic north pole and
tell direction. Many animals have natural “compasses” that work
just as well. For example, the loggerhead turtle in the Figure 
below senses the direction and strength of Earth’s magnetic field
and uses it to navigate along migration routes. Many migratory
bird species can also sense the magnetic field and use it for
navigation. Recent research suggests that they may have
structures in their eyes that let them see Earth’s magnetic field as
a visual pattern. 
[Link]
Summary

• Earth has north and south magnetic poles and a magnetic field
called the magnetosphere.
• The magnetosphere protects Earth’s organisms from solar
radiation.
• Some organisms—including humans with compasses—use Earth’s
magnetic field for navigation.
• Make a sketch of Earth’s magnetic field.
• Explain the northern lights in terms of Earth’s
magnetic field.
• How is a loggerhead turtle like a compass?