Lesson 19: Electromagnetism

Unit 19: Electromagnetism

Magnets have two poles: North and South. (They are “dipoles.”) Like poles repel; unlike poles attract.

These repulsive or attractive forces can act at a distance (no contact

is required). The region in space over which these forces can act is
called a magnetic field.

Magnetic field lines are drawn out of the North and into the South
but they don’t stop and start there: the magnetic field lines are drawn
through the poles. (Magnetic field lines must form closed loops.)

Some materials (like iron or neodymium) are ferromagnetic: they are made of many miniature dipoles
that can be aligned to create a permanent magnet.

Non-permanent magnets (that can be turned on and off) can be created using
electrical current.

Right-Hand Rule #1: When the thumb is pointed in the direction of conventional
current flow, the fingers curl in the direction of the magnetic field lines.

(You will also hear this rule referred to as Left-Hand Rule #1 when working with
electron flow instead of conventional current flow.)

To strengthen and straighten the magnetic field, we coil the current-

carrying wire into a solenoid.

Right-Hand Rule #2: When the fingers are curled in the direction of
conventional current flow, the thumb indicates the direction of
magnetic North.

To show that a current, field line, or force is directed out of the page (towards us), we draw:

To show that a current or field line is directed into the page, we draw:

Practice Question 1

(a) What is the direction of the magnetic field at Point P in the loop shown at left?
Hint: use Right-Hand Rule #1 along each side of the loop.

(b) Sketch the magnetic field lines around the electromagnet

shown at right when the switch is closed? Label magnetic North.
(Remember that the long line of the DC source represents the
positive terminal.)

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 Lesson 19: Electromagnetism

Since current will produce a magnetic field, the interaction of this field with an external magnetic field
will result in a force acting on the moving charge. This is the motor principle.

Right-Hand Rule #3 If the right thumb follows the direction of conventional

current flow and the extended fingers point in the direction of the magnetic
field, the force is in the direction the palm would push.

(If the current and field are aligned, the force is zero.)

Example: A current-carrying loop is placed in an external magnetic field as

shown in the diagram at right. What is the direction of the force
(if any) acting on segments a and b?

For a: point your fingers left and your thumb down; your palm
pushes out of the page.
For b: there is no force.

Electric motors transform electrical energy to mechanical energy by placing current-carrying loops in
external magnetic fields. For a visualization of a DC motor, go to:
http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/HTML5/DC_motor.html

Practice Question 2

(a) The diagram below shows two current-carrying wires between the poles of a permanent magnet.
The force on each wire is directed: (Hint: Draw in the external magnetic field.)

A. up on the left, down on the right

B. down on the left, up on the right
C. up on the left, up on the right
D. down on the left, down on the right

(b) The two parallel current-carrying wires shown at left will ______ each other.

A. attract B. repel

C. not affect D. It depends on the relative magnitudes of the currents.

Hint: What is the direction of the magnetic field of one wire at the position of the other?

(c) A positively-charged object is placed, initially at rest, near the North pole of a magnet. The magnet
will _______ the positively-charged object.

A. attract B. repel

C. not affect D. It cannot be determined.

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 Lesson 19: Electromagnetism

Go to http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/HTML5/magnet_loop_move.html.
Click on the magnet and drag the magnet toward the loop. Note that an emf (and therefore a current) is
created in the loop while the magnet is moving and the “magnetic flux” through the loop is changing.
As soon as you stop the magnet moving, the emf (and current) drop back to zero, even if the magnetic
flux is not zero.

Just as currents “induce” (create) magnetic fields, changing magnetic fields induce current.
(The fields need to be changing because otherwise isn't any energy available to create the current.)
This is the principle behind a generator. For a visualization of a generator, go to:
http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/HTML5/electric_generator.html

Practice Question 3

(a) A external magnetic field can induce current flow in a coil of wire. For this to happen, the external
magnetic field must be:

A. generated by an electromagnet B. changing magnitude or direction

C. parallel to the wire D. all of the above

(b) Given the diagram at right, a current flow would be induced in the loop if the
magnet were moved:

A. toward the loop B. away from the loop

C. sideways D. any of the above

(c) A circular loop of wire is placed in the same plane as a long wire carrying a constant
current I (as shown at right). Which of the following actions will not induce a current in
the loop?

A. changing the current in the wire

B. moving the loop away from the wire
C. moving the loop parallel to the wire
D. rotating the loop with respect to its diameter

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 Lesson 19: Electromagnetism

You might have noticed that when you moved the magnet away from the current loop, the emf (and
therefore the current) changed direction.

The direction of the induced current is such that the magnetic field produced by the induced current
resists the external magnetic field. This is called Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction.

Practice Question 4
(a) Two bar magnets are dropped from the same height. One falls through
a copper loop. Which magnet hits the ground first?

A. the one dropped through the loop

B. the one not dropped through the loop
C. The magnets hit the ground at the same time.
D. It cannot be determined.

(b) A long, straight wire carries a steady current I. A rectangular conducting loop lies
in the same plane as the wire as shown. Suppose the loop is pushed toward the wire
as shown. The induced current in the loop is:

A. clockwise B. counter-clockwise
C. zero D. It cannot be determined.

Hint: Use Right-Hand Rule #1 to determine the direction of the magnetic field produced by the wire at
the position of the loop. Note that this field is getting stronger as the loop approaches the wire. . . .

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 Lesson 19: Electromagnetism

Transformers are commonly used to either increase (“step up”) or decrease (“step down”) the potential
difference in our electrical grid. Transformers are an integral part of our electrical distribution system
known as “the grid.” As soon as the electricity leaves the power plant where it is generated, it is sent to
a transmission substation where transformers step up the voltages to 115 kV or more.

Why? To decrease the current. The resistance of the wires

(which increases with distance) is resistance to current
flow, not to energy flow. We lose much less energy due to
resistance if we sneak small currents through the wires –
but make each of the charges in the flow carry a lot of
energy. After the long-distance transmission, voltages are
stepped down to about 10 kV at local substations and then
split for distribution. Transformer drums attached to local
power lines step the voltage down further to 120 V for
residential use.

How do transformers work? Alternating current through one

coil of wire produces a changing magnetic field near another
“pickup” coil, thus inducing a current in that coil.

The change in the current and the voltage is determined by the

relative number of turns (N) in the primary and secondary
coils:
VP VS
= and N S I S =N P I P
NP N S
Practice Question 5

(a) The primary coil of a transformer is connected to a battery, a

resistor, and a switch. The secondary coil is connected to an
ammeter. When the switch is closed, the ammeter shows:

A. zero current B. a non-zero current very briefly

C. a steady non-zero current D. It cannot be determined.

(b) In the diagram at right, assume the number of turns in the primary coil is 75
and the number of turns in the secondary coil is 150. If the voltage in the primary
coil is 120 V and the current in the primary coil is 12 A, what are the voltage and
the current in the secondary coil?

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