Note that if the current changes direction, so does the magnetic field.
Illustration of a solenoid and the magnetic field created by the flow of current. When electric current flows through the solenoid, it creates a magnetic field very similar to that of a bar magnet (Figure 1).įigure 1. When the coil is wrapped in the shape of a cylinder, it is called a solenoid. But if the wire is wrapped in a coil, the fields produced in each turn of the coil add up to create a stronger magnetic field. The magnetic field around a straight wire is not very strong. You can prove this to yourself with a magnetic compass (see the Science Buddies Abbreviated Project Idea Using a Magnet as an Electrical Current Detector, and the Electricity, Magnetism, & Electromagnetism Tutorial to learn more). When electric current flows through a wire, it creates a magnetic field. The strength of electromagnets varies, but some electromagnets are strong enough to lift entire trains! So how does an electromagnet work? How does electric current-the movement of electric charges-make a magnet?
Electromagnets, or magnets that use the magnetic field created by electrical current flowing through a wire, lie at the heart of many electrical devices, ranging from simple things like doorbells to complex machines like particle accelerators.
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