Electromagnetism

Jean Brainard, Ph.D.

Say Thanks to the AuthorsClick http://www.ck12.org/saythanks

(No sign in required)

To access a customizable version of this book, as well as otherinteractive content, visit www.ck12.org

CK-12 Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission toreduce the cost of textbook materials for the K-12 market bothin the U.S. and worldwide. Using an open-content, web-basedcollaborative model termed the FlexBook®, CK-12 intends topioneer the generation and distribution of high-quality educationalcontent that will serve both as core text as well as provide anadaptive environment for learning, powered through the FlexBookPlatform®.

Copyright © 2014 CK-12 Foundation, www.ck12.org

The names “CK-12” and “CK12” and associated logos and theterms “FlexBook®” and “FlexBook Platform®” (collectively“CK-12 Marks”) are trademarks and service marks of CK-12Foundation and are protected by federal, state, and internationallaws.

Any form of reproduction of this book in any format or medium,in whole or in sections must include the referral attribution linkhttp://www.ck12.org/saythanks (placed in a visible location) inaddition to the following terms.

Except as otherwise noted, all CK-12 Content (including CK-12Curriculum Material) is made available to Users in accordancewith the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), as amended and updated by Creative Com-mons from time to time (the “CC License”), which is incorporatedherein by this reference.

Complete terms can be found at http://www.ck12.org/terms.

Printed: September 7, 2014

AUTHORJean Brainard, Ph.D.

EDITORBradley Hughes, Ph.D.

www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Electromagnetism

CHAPTER 1 ElectromagnetismCHAPTER OUTLINE

1.1 Electricity and Magnetism

1.2 Using Electromagnetism

1.3 Generating and Using Electricity

1.4 References

What’s dangling from the end of this big crane? It seems to be a very large magnet because metal objects are stickingto it. That’s exactly what it is. With the flick of a switch, the crane operator can turn on the magnet and use it topick up objects off the ground. Then with another flick of the switch, the operator can turn off the magnet to dropthe objects in the container. How does this happen? How can a magnet be turned on or off so easily? In this chapter,you’ll find out.Image copyright dvande, 2013. www.shutterstock.com. Used under license f rom Shutterstock.com.

1

1.1. Electricity and Magnetism www.ck12.org

1.1 Electricity and Magnetism

Lesson Objectives

• Outline how electromagnetism was discovered.• Describe the magnetic field created by an electric current.

Lesson Vocabulary

• electromagnetism

Introduction

The crane magnet in the opening photo is an electromagnet. Like all electromagnets, its magnetism is produced byelectric current. This type of magnetism is called electromagnetism.

Discovery of Electromagnetism

In 1820, a physicist in Denmark, named Hans Christian Oersted, discovered how electric currents and magneticfields are related. However, it was just a lucky accident. Oersted, who is pictured in Figure 1.1, was presenting ademonstration to his students. Ironically, he was trying to show that electricity and magnetism are not related. Heplaced a wire with electric current flowing through it next to a magnet, and nothing happened. After class, a studentheld the wire near the magnet again, but in a different direction. To Oersted’s surprise, the pointer of the magnetswung toward the wire so it was no longer pointing to Earth’s magnetic north pole. Oersted was intrigued. He turnedoff the current in the wire to see what would happen to the magnet. The pointer swung back to its original position,pointing north again. Oersted had discovered that an electric current creates a magnetic field. The magnetic fieldcreated by the current was strong enough to attract the pointer of the nearby compass.

Oersted wanted to learn more about the magnetic field created by a current, so he placed a magnet at differentlocations around a wire with current flowing through it. You can see some of his results in Figure 1.2. They showthat the magnetic field created by a current has field lines that circle around the wire. You can learn more aboutOersted’s investigations of current and magnetism at the URL below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM4m2GId3F8 (2:00)

MEDIAClick image to the left for use the URL below.URL: http://www.ck12.org/flx/render/embeddedobject/5062

2

www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Electromagnetism

FIGURE 1.1Hans Christian Oersted was the scientist who discovered electromag-netism.

FIGURE 1.2In Oersted’s investigation, the pointer of the magnet moved continuouslyas it circled the wire.

Electric Currents and Magnetic Fields

The magnetic field created by a current flowing through a wire actually surrounds the wire in concentric circles.This magnetic field is stronger if more current is flowing through the wire. The direction of the magnetic field alsodepends on the direction that the current is flowing through the wire. A simple rule, called the right hand rule,makes it easy to find the direction of the magnetic field if the direction of the current is known. The right hand ruleis illustrated in Figure 1.3. When the thumb of the right hand is pointing in the same direction as the current, thefingers of the right hand curl around the wire in the direction of the magnetic field. You can see the right hand rulein action at this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK1Ar5WPJj8 .

Lesson Summary

• Electromagnetism is magnetism produced by an electric current. Electromagnetism was discovered by Oerstedin 1820.

• The magnetic field produced by a current in a wire moves around the wire in concentric circles. More currentcreates a stronger magnetic field, and the direction of the current determines the direction of the magneticfield.

3

1.1. Electricity and Magnetism www.ck12.org

FIGURE 1.3The right hand rule shows the direction ofthe magnetic field around a wire that iscarrying electric current.

Lesson Review Questions

Recall

1. Define electromagnetism.2. Describe how Oersted discovered electromagnetism.3. What is the right hand rule?

Apply Concepts

4. The drawing below shows part of a wire that has current flowing through it. The arrow shows the direction ofthe current. Apply the right hand rule, and sketch the magnetic field lines around the wire.

Think Critically

5. Relate the properties of an electric current to its magnetic field.

Points to Consider

The magnetic field created by a single wire with current flowing through it is too weak to be very useful. However,technologies have been developed to make stronger electromagnetic fields. You can learn what they are in the nextlesson on "Using Electromagnetism."

4

www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Electromagnetism

• What might make an electromagnetic field stronger?• How might the wire that carries the current be arranged to increase the strength of the magnetic field?

5

1.2. Using Electromagnetism www.ck12.org

1.2 Using Electromagnetism

Lesson Objectives

• State how a solenoid increases electromagnetic force.• Explain why electromagnets can be very strong.• Describe how doorbells and electric motors use electromagnetism.

Lesson Vocabulary

• electric motor• electromagnet• solenoid

Introduction

Do you believe in ghosts? The man in the Figure 1.4 does. He’s hoping to record sights or sounds of ghost on hisvideo camera. The other device he’s holding is an electromagnetic field detector. Ghost hunters often use detectorslike this one because they believe that ghosts cause changes in electromagnetic fields. The problem for ghost huntersis that electromagnetic fields can be produced by many devices. You can read about some of them in this lesson.They may not be as exciting as ghosts, but they are a lot more useful!

FIGURE 1.4This man is trying to detect “evidence” ofa ghost.

6

www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Electromagnetism

Solenoids

A solenoid is a coil of wire with electric current flowing through it, giving it a magnetic field (see Figure 1.5).Recall that current flowing through a straight wire produces a weak electromagnetic field that circles around thewire. Current flowing through a coil of wire, in contrast, produces a magnetic field that has north and south poleslike a bar magnet. The magnetic field around a coiled wire is also stronger than the magnetic field around a straightwire because each turn of the wire has its own magnetic field. Adding more turns increases the strength of the field,as does increasing the amount of current flowing through the coil. You can see an actual solenoid with a compassshowing its magnetic north pole at this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgZHqfIBkUI .

FIGURE 1.5How does a solenoid resemble a bar magnet?

Electromagnets

Solenoids are the basis of electromagnets. An electromagnet is a solenoid wrapped around a bar of iron or otherferromagnetic material (see Figure 1.6). The electromagnetic field of the solenoid magnetizes the iron bar byaligning its magnetic domains. The combined magnetic force of the magnetized iron bar and the wire coil makes anelectromagnet very strong. In fact, electromagnets are the strongest magnets made. Some of them are strong enoughto lift a train. The maglev train described earlier, in the lesson "Electricity and Magnetism," contains permanentmagnets. Strong electromagnets in the track repel the train magnets, causing the train to levitate above the track.

Like a solenoid, an electromagnet is stronger if there are more turns in the coil or more current is flowing through it.A bigger bar or one made of material that is easier to magnetize also increases an electromagnet’s strength. You cansee how to make a simple electromagnet at this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emlzh9XXWgQ (4:57).

MEDIAClick image to the left for use the URL below.URL: http://www.ck12.org/flx/render/embeddedobject/5063

7

1.2. Using Electromagnetism www.ck12.org

FIGURE 1.6An electromagnet uses a solenoid and an iron bar to create a very strong magnetic field.

Electromagnetic Devices

Many common electric devices contain electromagnets. Some examples include hair dryers, fans, CD players,telephones, and doorbells. Most electric devices that have moving parts contain electric motors. You can read belowhow doorbells and electric motors use electromagnets.

How a Doorbell Works

Figure 1.7 shows a diagram of a simple doorbell. Like most doorbells, it has a button located by the front door.Pressing the button causes two electric contacts to come together and complete an electric circuit. In other words,the button is a switch. The circuit is also connected to a voltage source, an electromagnet, and the clapper of abell. When current flows through the circuit, the electromagnet turns on, and its magnetic field attracts the clapper.This causes the clapper to hit the bell, making it ring. Because the clapper is part of the circuit, when it moves tostrike the bell, it breaks the circuit. Without current flowing through the circuit, the electromagnet turns off. Theclapper returns to its original position, which closes the circuit again and turns the electromagnet back on. The

8

www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Electromagnetism

electromagnet again attracts the clapper, which hits the bell once more. This sequence of events keeps repeating aslong as the button by the front door is being pressed.

FIGURE 1.7A doorbell uses an electromagnet to movethe clapper of a bell.

Electric Motors

An electric motor is a device that uses an electromagnet to change electrical energy to kinetic energy. Figure 1.8shows a simple diagram of an electric motor. The motor contains an electromagnet that is connected to a shaft.When current flows through the motor, the electromagnet turns, causing the shaft to turn as well. The rotating shaftmoves other parts of the device.

Why does the motor’s electromagnet turn? Notice that the electromagnet is located between the north and southpoles of two permanent magnets. When current flows through the electromagnet, it becomes magnetized, and itspoles are repelled by the like poles of the permanent magnets. This causes the electromagnet to turn toward theunlike poles of the permanent magnets. A device called a commutator then changes the direction of the currentso the poles of the electromagnet are reversed. The reversed poles are once again repelled by the like poles ofthe permanent magnets. This causes the electromagnet to continue to turn. These events keep repeating, so theelectromagnet rotates continuously. You can make a very simple electric motor with a battery, wire, and magnetfollowing instructions at this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhaYLnjkf1E .

Lesson Summary

• A solenoid is a coil of wire with electric current flowing through it. It produces a strong magnetic field withnorth and south poles like a bar magnet.

• An electromagnet is a solenoid wrapped around a bar of iron or other ferromagnetic material. The magneticfield of the coil magnetizes the bar, which adds to the strength of the magnetic field. Electromagnets are thestrongest magnets made.

• Many common electric devices, such as doorbells, contain electromagnets. If they have moving parts, they arelikely to have an electric motor. An electric motor is a device that uses an electromagnet to change electrical

9

1.2. Using Electromagnetism www.ck12.org

FIGURE 1.8In this simple diagram of an electric motor,the electromagnet is represented by arectangular wire. It actually consists of aniron bar surrounded by a wire coil.

energy to kinetic energy.

Lesson Review Questions

Recall

1. What is a solenoid?2. What determines the strength of a solenoid’s magnetic field?3. Describe how a doorbell uses an electromagnet.

Apply Concepts

4. Draw a labeled sketch of an electric motor to show how it uses electromagnetism to convert electrical energyto kinetic energy.

Think Critically

5. Assume that an electromagnet and a solenoid have the same number of turns in their wire coil and the sameamount of current flowing through the wire. Which device has the stronger magnetic field? Explain youranswer.

Points to Consider

In this lesson, you saw how electric current can be used to create a strong electromagnetic field. In the next lesson,"Generating and Using Electricity," you’ll find out how a magnetic field can be used to generate an electric current.

10

www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Electromagnetism

• Can you predict how this might be done?• A device that uses a magnetic field to generate electricity is called a generator. What do you already know

about generators from previous chapters? (Hint: Look at the figure on how energy constantly changes form inthe "Introduction to Energy" chapter.)

11

1.3. Generating and Using Electricity www.ck12.org

1.3 Generating and Using Electricity

Lesson Objectives

• Describe electromagnetic induction.• Explain how electric generators and transformers work.• State the roles of generators and transformers in electrifying the home.

Lesson Vocabulary

• electric generator• electric transformer• electromagnetic induction• Faraday’s law

Introduction

You probably use many electric devices every day, including lights and appliances such as hair dryers and mi-crowaves. Where does the electricity come from to power these devices? The answer is magnetic fields.

From Magnets to Electricity

Just about a decade after Oersted discovered that electric current produces a magnetic field, an English scientistnamed Michael Faraday discovered that the reverse is also true. A magnetic field produces an electric current, aslong as the magnetic field is changing. This is called Faraday’s law.

Electromagnetic Induction

The process of generating electric current with a changing magnetic field is called electromagnetic induction. Itoccurs whenever a magnetic field and an electric conductor, such as a coil of wire, move relative to one another. Aslong as the conductor is part of a closed circuit, current will flow through it whenever it crosses magnetic field lines.One way this can happen is pictured in Figure 1.9. It shows a magnet moving inside a wire coil. Another way is forthe coil to move instead of the magnet.

You can watch an animated version of Figure 1.9 at this URL: http://jsticca.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/the-magnet-car/ .

12

www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Electromagnetism

FIGURE 1.9This simple setup shows how electromagnetic induction occurs.

The Current Produced by a Magnet

The device in the circuit in Figure 1.9 is an ammeter. It measures the current that flows through the wire. The fasterthe magnet or coil moves, the greater the amount of current that is produced. If more turns were added to the coil,this would increase the strength of the magnetic field as well. If the magnet were moved back and forth repeatedly,the current would keep changing direction. In other words, alternating current would be produced. This is illustratedin Figure 1.10.

FIGURE 1.10If a magnet is moved back and forth rela-tive to a coil of wire, alternating current isproduced.

Electric Generators and Transformers

Two important devices depend on electromagnetic induction: electric generators and electric transformers. Bothdevices play critical roles in producing and regulating the electric current we depend on in our daily lives.

Electric Generators

An electric generator is a device that changes kinetic energy to electrical energy through electromagnetic induction.A simple diagram of an electric generator is shown in Figure 1.11. In a generator, some form of energy is appliedto turn a shaft. This causes a coil of wire to rotate between opposite poles of a magnet. Because the coil is rotatingin a magnetic field, electric current is generated in the wire. If the diagram in Figure 1.11 looks familiar to you,that’s because a generator is an electric motor in reverse. Look back at the electric motor in Figure 1.8. If you wereto mechanically turn the shaft of the motor (instead of using electromagnetism to turn it), the motor would generateelectricity just like an electric generator. You can learn how to make a very simple electric generator by watchingthe video at the URL below. Making your own generator will help you understand how a generator works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Sz8oT8ou0

13

1.3. Generating and Using Electricity www.ck12.org

FIGURE 1.11This diagram shows the basic parts of anelectric generator. Compare the genera-tor with the electric motor.

Generators may be set up to produce either alternating or direct current. Generators in cars and most power plantsproduce alternating current.

• A car generator produces electricity with some of the kinetic energy of the turning crankshaft. The electricityis used to run the car’s lights, power windows, radio, and other electric devices. Some of the electricity isstored in the car’s battery to provide electrical energy when the car isn’t running.

• A power plant generator produces electricity with the kinetic energy of a turning turbine. The energy to turnthe turbine may come from burning fuel, falling water, or some other energy source. You can see how fallingwater is used to generate electricity in Figure 1.12 and in the video at this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEL7yc8R42k .

FIGURE 1.12A hydroelectric power plant uses the ki-netic energy of falling water to turn aturbine and generate electricity.

Electric Transformers

An electric transformer is a device that uses electromagnetic induction to change the voltage of electric current.A transformer may either increase or decrease voltage, but it only works with alternating current. You can see the

14

www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Electromagnetism

components of an electric transformer in Figure 1.13.

FIGURE 1.13An electric transformer connects two cir-cuits with an iron core that becomes anelectromagnet.

As you can see in Figure 1.13, a transformer consists of two wire coils wrapped around an iron core. Whenalternating primary current passes through coil P, it magnetizes the iron core. Because the current is alternating, themagnetic field of the iron core keeps reversing. This changing magnetic field induces alternating current in coil S,which is part of another circuit. In Figure 1.13, coil P and coil S have the same number of turns of wire. In thiscase, the voltages of the primary and secondary currents are the same. However, when the two coils have differentnumbers of turns, the voltage of the secondary current is different than the voltage of the primary current. Both casesare illustrated in Figure 1.14.

• When coil S has more turns of wire than coil P, the voltage in the secondary current is greater than the voltagein the primary current. This type of transformer is called a step-up transformer.

• When coil S has fewer turns of wire than coil P, the voltage in the secondary current is less than the voltage inthe primary current. This type of transformer is called a step-down transformer.

For an animation of a transformer, go to this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VucsoEhB0NA .

Electrifying the Home

Power plant generators produce high-voltage electric current. Many power plants also use step-up transformers toincrease the voltage of the current even more (see Figure 1.15). By increasing the voltage, the amount of currentis decreased, so less power is lost as the electricity travels through the power lines. However, the voltage in powerlines is too high to be safe for home circuits. The voltage in power lines may be as great as 750,000 volts, whereasmost home circuits are 240 or 120 volts. One or more step-down transformers decrease the voltage of current beforeit enters the home. Other step-down transformers within the home lower the voltage of some of the home’s circuits.For an overview of electric power generation, transmission, and distribution in the U.S., go to this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eU3BgrmzkY .

15

1.3. Generating and Using Electricity www.ck12.org

FIGURE 1.14Whether a transformer increases or de-creases voltage depends on the relativenumber of turns of wire in the two coils.

FIGURE 1.15Transformers play an important role insupplying energy to the home. Why areboth step-up and step-down transformersneeded?

Lesson Summary

• A changing magnetic field produces an electric current in the process of electromagnetic induction. Current isgenerated whenever an electric conductor crosses magnetic field lines.

• An electric generator is a device that changes kinetic energy to electrical energy through electromagneticinduction. An electric transformer is a device that uses electromagnetic induction to change the voltage ofelectric current.

• Electric generators and transformers play critical roles in producing and regulating the electric current wedepend on in our daily lives.

Lesson Review Questions

Recall

1. What is Faraday’s law?2. Define electromagnetic induction.3. Describe how an electric generator uses electromagnetic induction.

16

www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Electromagnetism

Apply Concepts

4. Create a sketch to show how a coil of wire in a circuit and a bar magnet can be used to produce electric current.

Think Critically

5. Explain how an electric transformer changes the voltage of electric current. Why does a transformer workonly with alternating current?

Points to Consider

This chapter explains how electric and magnetic forces are related and how they are used. Knowledge of electricityand magnetism can help you understand the electric devices you use in your daily life. In many other ways,knowledge of physical science can help you understand your natural and human-made environment.

• What have you learned by studying physical science that helps you understand the world around you?• What else would you like to learn?

17

1.4. References www.ck12.org

1.4 References

1. . http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hans_Christian_%C3%98rsted_daguerreotype.jpg . Public Do-main

2. Christopher Auyeung. CK-12 Foundation . CC BY-NC 3.03. Hand by Wizard191, modified by Christopher Auyeung for CK-12 Foundation. Hand from http://commons

.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Right-hand_grip_rule.svg . CC BY-NC 3.0 (hand available under public domain)4. Image copyright Peter Kim, 2013. http://www.shutterstock.com . Used under license from Shutterstock.com5. Christopher Auyeung. CK-12 Foundation . CC BY-NC 3.06. Christopher Auyeung. CK-12 Foundation . CC BY-NC 3.07. Christopher Auyeung. CK-12 Foundation . CC BY-NC 3.08. Christopher Auyeung. CK-12 Foundation . CC BY-NC 3.09. Christopher Auyeung. CK-12 Foundation . CC BY-NC 3.0

10. Christopher Auyeung. CK-12 Foundation . CC BY-NC 3.011. Christopher Auyeung. CK-12 Foundation . CC BY-NC 3.012. User:Tomia/Wikimedia Commons. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hydroelectric_dam.svg . CC

BY 2.513. Christopher Auyeung. CK-12 Foundation . CC-BY-NC-SA 3.014. Christopher Auyeung. CK-12 Foundation . CC-BY-NC-SA 3.015. Christopher Auyeung. CK-12 Foundation . CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0

18