AL SADIQ ISLAMIC ENGLISH SCHOOL, DUBAI

: DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE :
: NOTES & WORKSHEET : ELECTROMAGNETISM:
Grade : _10__ Sect._F__ Roll No._____ Subject : PHYSICS Date: __________

Name: ____________________________________________

 Oersted discovered the, a Magnetic field is always produced around a current carrying wire.
 This discovery led to the construction of D.C. motors and Electromagnets [Electric Bell, Rellay].
1 Electromagnetism
A Definition
B Describe an experiment to show that, magnetic field is produced around a current carrying wire.
C Patterns of magnetic field lines around a straight wire and finding the direction of the produced magnetic field.
Patterns of magnetic field lines around a single loop of wire and finding the direction of the produced magnetic
D
field.
C Patterns of magnetic field lines around a solenoid and finding the direction of the produced magnetic field.
D Factors on which the strength of the magnetic field produced can be increased.

2 Magnetic force on a current

A Force acting on the wire carrying a current and placed in a magnetic field.
B The Motor Rule : Fleming Left Hand Rule : to find the direction of force acting on the wire
C Factors affecting the magnitude of the force acting on the wire.
D Construction and working of a D.C. motor.

3 Applications :
A Electromagnet.
B Electric Bell, Speaker, Moving coil meter, Relay.
[1]: ELECTROMAGNETISM :
OERSTED’ DISCOVERY [ MAGNETIC EFFECT OF ELECTRIC CURRENT] :

 In 1819 Oersted accidentally discovered the magnetic

Current direction
effect of electric current.
 His experiment can be repeated by holding a wire over S
N
Movement of needle
and parallel to a magnetic compass as shown in Fig.
Compass
 The needle is deflected when the current is switched on.
 Reversing the direction of current in the wire, the needle
will be deflected in opposite direction. Conducting wire

 This shows that a magnetic field is produced around a Low voltage high current

wire carrying a current.

 FIELD DUE TO A STRAIGHT WIRE :
 Consider a straight vertical wire passes through the center of a Compass
piece of a card hold horizontally, as shown in the Fig.
 Sprinkle iron filings on the card. N
Field lines shown
by iron filings

 Connect the wire to the electric supply and allow the current to
pass through the wire. Card

 The iron filings sprinkled on the card set in concentric circles

N

when the card is gently tapped.

 The pattern of Magnetic field produced around the wire is concentric Straight wire
circles. Current direction

 Direction of the field lines can be found by placing the plotting

compass at different places on the field lines.
 Reversing the direction of the electric current, the compass will show the direction in the
opposite direction.
 The strength of the magnetic field can be increased by : (1) increasing the magnitude of the current.
(2) by using longer wire.
 The direction of the magnetic field can be changed by changing the direction of the current in the
wire.
 DIRECTION OF THE FIELD LINE : -
 If the current direction is known, the direction of the field
lines can be predicted by the right-hand thumb or right hand
screw rule as shown in the figure :
 Point thumb in the direction of the current flowing through the
wire.
 Now band the figure as shown, which represents the direction of
the magnetic field produced in the wire.
 The- right hand screw moves forward in the direction of the current (conventional), the
direction of the rotation of the screw gives the direction of the magnetic field. Diagram.
 FIELD DUE TO A CIRCULAR COIL :
 The magnetic field patterns around a circular coil is as shown in
the fig.
 At the center of the coil the magnetic field lines are straight and
right angles to the plane of the coil.
 The right-hand screw rule determines the direction of the magnetic
field lines at any point.
 SOLENOID :
 A solenoid is a long cylindrical (helical) coil.
 It produces a magnetic field around it when an electric current passed
through it.
 These field lines are similar to that of a bar magnet.
 One end of solenoid behaves like a N – Pole & the other as S – Pole.
 These poles can be found by using right-hand grip rule.
 If the fingers of the right hand grip the solenoid in the direction of the Magnetic field lines due to a solenoid

current, the thumb points to the N – Pole.

 The strength of the magnetic field can be increased by : (1) increasing the
magnitude of the current. (2) by using more turns per unit area of the solenoid.
(3) by winding the solenoid on a soft iron core.
 The direction of the magnetic field can be changed by changing the direction
of the current in the solenoid.

Right hand grip thumb rule

 MAGNETIC FORCE ON A CURRENT :

 A force acts on a copper wire which is carrying a current and kept in a magnetic field.
 Copper is a non-magnetic, so it feels no force from the magnet. However, with a current through it there is a force
on it.
 This force arises because the current produces its own magnetic field (circular) which acts on the poles of the
magnet and the combined field is as shown in the figure.
 The field lines of the magnet tend to straighten and thus push the wire upward.
 Magnitude of this force can be increased by : (1) increasing the number of turns in the wire, (2) by using more
stronger magnet and (3) increasing the current in the coil.
 The direction of force can be changed by : (1) changing the poles of the magnet or (1) changing the direction of
current in the coil.

Wire carrying a current Direction of force ‘F’

N S N S

Direction of force ‘F’ Wire carrying a current

  FINDING THE DIRECTION OF THE FORCE ON THE WIRE CARRYING A CURRENT [the motor rule]:
The direction of the force acting on the wire, carrying a current and placed in the
magnetic field, can be found by using the left hand thumb rule, as shown in the
figure. This rule is known as “Motor Rule”
Thumb : Direction of force (thrust) on the wire.
First figure (index figure) : Direction of magnetic field lines of the magnet.
Middle figure : Direction of the current in the wire.

 FORCE ON THE BEAM OF CHARGED PARTICLE :

 When a beam of electron enters the magnetic field, a force exerts on it so its path is a curved path as shown.
 Remember that, the direction of the conventional current will be in the opposite direction to the direction of the
electron beam travelling and Flaming’s Left hand rule (motor rule) is used to find the direction of the force acting
on the beam of electron.
X X X X X X
Magnetic field
Force top of page
Electron beam X X X X X X into the page
Magnetic field
X X X X X X Electron beam out of the page

X X X X X X S N
Conventional
direction of current Conventional
Force bottom of page direction of current + _

 D.C. MOTOR :
 Working principal : Electromagnetism.
 When a current-carrying coil is in a magnetic field, it experiences a turning effect.
 A DC motor runs on a direct current.
 The coil is made of insulated copper wire.
 It is free to rotate between the poles of the magnet.
 The commutator, or split-ring, is fixed to the coil and rotates with it.
 When the coil overshoots the vertical, the commutator changes the direction of the current through it, so the
forces change direction and keep the coil turning.
 The brushes are two contacts which rub against the commutator and keep the coil connected to the battery.
 They are usually made of carbon.
 The maximum turning effect if when the coil is horizontal. There is no force when the coil is vertical (but
luckily it always overshoots this position).

 The turning effect can be increased by:

 Increasing the current.
 Using a stronger magnet.
 Increasing the number of coils (increases the length of coil).
 Increasing the area of the coil (increases the length of coil).
 Reversing the rotation can be done by:
 Reversing the battery (changing the direction of the current).
 Reversing the poles of the magnet.
 ELECTROMAGNETS :
 An electromagnet is a type of a magnet in which magnetic field is produced by the flow of
electric current.
 It is a temporary magnet and can be switch on and off.
 As long as the current passes through the coil, wounded on it, it
behaves as a magnet and losses its magnetism when the current
is switched off.
 It has a core of soft iron.
 The strength of an electromagnet can be increased by :
(1) Increasing the current in the coil.
(2) By increasing the number of turns on the coil.
(3) By moving the poles closer together.
 Uses of electromagnets : (1) Electric bell (2) Relay (3) Reed
Switch (4) Circuit breaker. Etc.
 In C – core electromagnets, coils are winded in opposite directions on
each limb of the core & the poles are moved closer together.
 APPLICATIONS OF ELECTROMAGNETS :
RELAY :
 A relay is a switch based on the principle of an electromagnet.
 It is used to control one circuit by another.
 When the current is in the coil from the circuit connected to AB, the soft iron core is magnetized &
attracts the L –shaped iron armature.
 This rocks on its pivot & close the contacts at C in the circuit connected to DE.
 The relay is then ‘energized’ or ‘on’.
 The current needed to operate a relay is called the pull-on current, & the drop-off current is the
smaller current in the coil when the relay just stops working.