electrical fundamentals book 2 Flashcards
what occurs naturally in some minerals?
magnetism occurs naturally in some minerals
give an example of a mineral that is magnetic
lodestone is a naturally occurring mineral that is magnetic
what two ways can an artificial magnet be magnetised?
an artificial magnet can be magnetised through stroking it with a natural magnet or through passing an electric current through it
give an example of a material that is easily magnetised
soft iron is easily magnetised
will a material that is easily magnetised lose its magnetism easily?
yes, a material that is easily magnetised will also lose its magnetism easily. conversely, materials which are hard to magnetise do not lose their magnetism easily
what are the properties of the minerals we use to make permanent magnets?
minerals that we use to make permanent magnets are hard to magnetise and do not lose their magnetism easily
what do we call minerals that lose their magnetism easily?
temporary magnets
what are the forces around a magnet called?
the forces around a magnet are called line of magnetic flux. these produce a magnetic field
do the lines of magnetic flux travel from south to north or from north to south?
the lines of magnetic flux travel from a magnets north pole to its south pole
what are the 4 properties of magnetic fields?
- lines of force tend to contract to the shortest possible length rather like an elastic band
- lines of force laterally repel one another
- the direction of lines of force is from north pole to south pole. they form closed loops which are completed by the lines passing through the magnet
- lines of force never cross over each other
if 2 magnetic poles are opposite each other, what is the relationship between each other?
like poles will repel each other, opposite poles will attract
what is the unit of magnetic flux?
the symbol for magnetic flux is the greek letter phi and its unit is the weber (Wb)
what are the 2 laws of magnetism?
- the force between two magnetic poles at a fixed distance apart is proportional to their pole strengths
- the force between 2 magnetic poles of constant strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
using the two laws of magnetism, give an equation for calculating the force of magnetising field between two magnets
force of magnetising field = (pole strength 1 in webers x pole strength 2 in webers)/distance in metres squared
what is flux density?
the amount of flux per unit cross sectional area, anywhere in the magnetic field, at right angles to the lines of force
what is the unit of flux density?
symbol B, measured in Tesla (T)
how is flux density calculated?
flux density (tesla) = magnetic flux (weber)/area (metres squared)
why would we use an electromagnet?
to obtain a large magnetic field
what is the simple principle of electromagnetism?
a magnetic field is created by passing a DC current through a wire
which rule can we use to determine the direction of current flow, the north pole and field direction through a conductor?
the right hand grasp rule can be used to determine the direction of north pole, direction of current flow and field direction
what are the magnetic effects of 2 parallel conductors?
two parallel conductors with currents flowing in the same direction will attract if free to move, if currents are flowing in opposite directions they will repel
what is a solenoid?
an electromagnetically controlled device in which the mechanical movement of a shaft or plunger is activated by a magnetising current
what is magnetomotive force (MMF) and what is its electrical circuit equivalent?
the cause of a magnetic field, measured in ampere turns (At). its electrical circuit equivalent is electromotive force (EMF)
give an equation for calculating MMF
MMF = current (amperes) x number of turns of wire through which current is flowing