Electromagnets: Uses and how to build one
Now that we know a little bit about electromagnets, lets look at some of their uses here on earth.
Electromagnets have several uses and practical applications. They can be found in various everyday electronics and are also used for industrial purposes ourselves. You can say that the electromagnet made much of the modern age possible harnessing electricity as a practical force in the same way that mankind used windmills and dams to harness wind and water.
First, there are motors and generators. The discovery of the electromagnet made possible the invention of electric motors and generators. Both of these work on a scientific principle called electromagnetic induction. This phenomenon was discovered by the scientist Michael Faraday. Electromagnetic induction takes advantage of the fact that a moving electrical current creates a magnetic fields and a moving magnetic field creates an electrical current.
Second, there are relays. Electromagnets are used to control the switches in relay.
Now, how can you build an electromagnet?
All you need to do is wrap some insulated copper wire around an iron core. If you attach a battery to the wire, an electric current will begin to flow and the iron core will become magnetized. When the battery is disconnected, the iron core will lose its magnetism. Easy right?
It's just like in the picture to the left.
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