What is an electromagnet, and how does it work?

Ans: Electromagnets are magnets whose magnetic field is generated by electricity.

Unlike regular magnets that always have their magnetism, an electromagnet’s strength can be changed by controlling the amount of electric current passing through it. When you stop the electric current, the magnetism in an electromagnet disappears.

Now, let’s compare these electromagnets to regular permanent magnets. Electromagnets work by running electricity through coils of wire. When there’s electricity flowing through these coils, the electromagnet becomes magnetic and can attract things. This magnetic power can be turned on and off as needed, which makes them really handy in electronic devices when you only want a magnet for a short time.

Here’s how electromagnets do their thing: When electricity flows through a wire, it creates a magnetic field around the wire. You can imagine this magnetic field like a force pushing out in all directions from the wire. There’s a neat trick called Fleming’s right-hand rule that helps us understand how this works: If you hold your thumb, first finger, and second finger at right angles to each other (forming a right angle), your thumb can represent this magnetic push, your first finger represents a particle moving along the wire, and your second finger shows the direction of the magnetic field created by the current in the wire. This rule helps us figure out how electromagnets work.

 

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