Magnetism Flashcards
What is a magnet?
An object which has opposite magnetic poles at the end
What happens if a magnet is broken in half?
It breaks into two magnets
What is a permanent magnet?
A magnet which retains its magnetism
What is a temporary magnet?
The opposite of a permanent magnet
What is an example of a permanent magnet?
A bar magnet
What is an example of a temporary magnet?
Electromagnets
What is a magnetic field?
A region in space in which a magnet or ferromagnetic material will experience a force which is magnetic in nature
What does the strength and direction of a magnetic force depend on?
The magnetic object’s position in relation to the magnet
Which side of a magnet is a compass needle attracted to?
South
What are field lines?
Lines that show the direction of the force that an iron filing would experience at a particular point in the field
How do magnets react with one another?
Like poles repel
Unlike poles attract
Why does a compass needle point north?
It is responding to the magnetic field that the earth has
What is magnetic declination?
The angle between magnetic north and geographic north
What is another name for geographic north?
True north
Why are magnetic north and true north different?
The earth is tilted
What causes aurora borealis?
CMEs and the earth’s magnetic fields
What does CME stand for?
Coronal mass ejection
What is a CME?
A cloud of gas released by solar activity
What happens when a CME reaches earth?
It collides with the earth’s magnetic field
Charged particles are generated
How is auroral light created?
The charged particles from the CME ionise the Nitrogen and oxygen in the air, which radiate light
Why does auroral light appear at the poles?
The charged particles spiral along the magnetic field lines
What is a magnetic storm?
Massive disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by collision with solar winds and the magnetosphere
