Question:

List two methods of producing magnetic fields.

Updated On: Nov 6, 2023
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Solution and Explanation

Two methods of producing magnetic fields are:

  1. Electric Current: When an electric current flows through a conductor, it generates a magnetic field around it. This is the principle behind electromagnets, where a coil of wire wrapped around a core (often made of iron) produces a magnetic field when an electric current passes through the coil.
  2. Permanent Magnets: These are materials that naturally possess their own persistent magnetic fields. They can be made from certain materials like iron, nickel, cobalt, and some rare earth metals. These materials have aligned magnetic domains that create a permanent magnetic field without the need for an external power source.
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Concepts Used:

Magnetic Field

The magnetic field is a field created by moving electric charges. It is a force field that exerts a force on materials such as iron when they are placed in its vicinity. Magnetic fields do not require a medium to propagate; they can even propagate in a vacuum. Magnetic field also referred to as a vector field, describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, magnetic materials, and electric currents.

A magnetic field can be presented in two ways.

  • Magnetic Field Vector: The magnetic field is described mathematically as a vector field. This vector field can be plotted directly as a set of many vectors drawn on a grid. Each vector points in the direction that a compass would point and has length dependent on the strength of the magnetic force.
  • Magnetic Field Lines: An alternative way to represent the information contained within a vector field is with the use of field lines. Here we dispense with the grid pattern and connect the vectors with smooth lines.

Properties of Magnetic Field Lines

  • Magnetic field lines never cross each other
  • The density of the field lines indicates the strength of the field
  • Magnetic field lines always make closed-loops
  • Magnetic field lines always emerge or start from the north pole and terminate at the south pole.