Running Head: Magnetism and Electromagnetism Page 1
Magnetism and Electromagnetism
Michael Indence
EET/110
27 Jan 2013
Professor Outland

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Magnetism and Electromagnetism
A paper clip slides across the school lab room with no one touching the paperclip. It moves forward and backward and side to side. I was amazed and perplexed the paperclip to moving without anyone handling the object. The teacher then explains the experiment and what took place. The teacher had a magnet under the table that provided a magnetic force to control the paperclip as the teacher moved the magnet around. This concept is called magnetism and provides the foundation for electronics and electromagnetism.
Another experiment the class seen and got to build was an electromagnet. The teacher has us wind a wire around a magnet and supply a small amount of electricity to the wire. The mixture enhanced the magnetic field increasing the strength of the magnet. Building off magnetism, electromagnetism further revolutionizes the world.
Ever since being exposed to the paper clip experiment and the electromagnet project, I have been interested in the principles and theories of magnetism and electromagnetism. The field is used in so many facets of our life it’s nearly impossible not to use something built around these principles. Think for a minute about objects or activities you do that involves either of these fields. Have you ever entered a building that required to be buzzed in? The lock mechanism is based on electromagnetism. Have you ever turned lights on in a house? The power generators at the power plant use electromagnetism and magnetism to generate the supplied power.
Magnetism and Electromagnetism principles have remained pretty consistent over the years since discovery. Magnetism was discovered by in 1820 and has revolutionized our world.
Although today magnets and electromagnetism can be complex, its basic functions can be easily

Running Head: Magnetism and Electromagnetism Page 3 reproduced at home. Some of these projects can be for any age and any enthusiast. As we journey further, we will cover the history of magnetism and electromagnetism, common uses today, and at home projects for the at home adventures.
History of Magnetism and Electromagnetism:
Magnets, the soul of magnetism have been around for thousands of years and can go back before written history. Naturally occurring minerals such as Lodestone and Amber possess magnetic characteristics. Lodestone attracts iron and the “First definite statement is by Thales of
Miletus (about 585B.C.) who said lodestone attracts iron because it has a soul.” (Fowler, 2007)
Although magnets and principles of magnetism have existed for so long, many years passed before our current understanding came to be. In the year 1187, “Alexander Neckham was the first in Europe to describe the compass and its use for navigation.” (Crystal, N.D.) This was based on principles of the magnetic north and south poles. Future work was developed and theories began to show that earth itself was magnetic.
In the 1600s, De Magnete was written by William Gilbert who is known as the “man who began the science of magnetism.” (Fowler, 2007) This is a key stage in the discovery of magnetism and also begins the introduction or experimentation with Electromagnetism and the study of electricity. William Gilbert was not alone in the experimentation of magnetism during this era; however, it wasn’t until around 1819 that an “understanding of the relationship between electricity and magnetism began by the work of Hans Christian Oersted.” (Crystal, N.D.) Hans
Christian Oersted discovered more or less by accident an electric current could influence a compass needle. “This landmark experiment is known as Oersted's Experiment”. According to the CrystalLinks Metaphysic and Science website:

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Several other experiments followed, with AndrŽ-Marie Ampre, Carl Friedrich Gauss,
Michael Faraday, and others finding further links between magnetism and electricity
James Clerk Maxwell synthesized and expanded these insights into Maxwell's equations, unifying electricity, magnetism, and optics into the field of electromagnetism. In 1905,
Einstein used these laws in motivating his theory of special relativity, requiring that the laws held true in all inertial reference frames. (Crystal, N.D.)
The understanding and continual studies of magnetism and electromagnetism is never at rest. Today, there are various fields that try to further develop these raw principles for deeper knowledge and advancements to society. Quantum electrodynamics, electroweak theory, gauge theory and the standard model are various fields of study based on magnetic and electromagnetic principles discovered long ago.
Modern use of Magnetism and Electromagnetism
The principles of magnetism and electromagnetism are found in nearly everything we use today. The very basic compasses provide the rudimentary principles of magnetism and can be used for sea and land navigation as well as in car analog and digital readouts. Granted this is the most commonly known use of magnets; is there one that might take you by surprise? Here are some that might be of interest: Radios, ovens, microwaves, light bulbs, doorbells and speakers.
Do any of these take you by surprise? Some of these run on the function of magnetism and electromagnets while some generate magnetic fields. One example would be the light bulb that is not a magnet in the traditional sense but does generate magnetic fields when powered on.
Speakers solely function based on electromagnets. The base of the speaker is a magnet with a hollow center. The exterior of the speaker is shaped in a cone and attached to a cylindrical tube.

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The tube attached to the cone is wound in copper wire and placed into the hollow space of the magnet. When electric is applied to the coil, the attract and repel mechanics of magnet move the coil pushing the attached cone up and down. The movement of the cone creates sound waves into the room hitting the ears and is translated into sound. Ok, so maybe you knew about these household items. Did you also know hard drives are made of magnets? Did you also know tape cassettes used magnetism to record or playback recorded music? The list of uses in a home is extremely robust and long. In the commercial world, the uses are just as extensive. One use of magnets in the healthcare field is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Although magnets and electromagnets can be as simple as a compass or as complex as a MRI machine, there are many ways at home to experiment with these principles for all ages.
Home Experiments
There are many exciting at-home experiments can be used to engage kids in the field of electromagnets; or simply any age hobbyist wanting to tinker. Two of my favorite experiments for kids are the basic electromagnet and electromagnet suction straw. The first experiment I learned in third grade and consists of the following: six volt battery insulated copper wire, iron nail, and paperclips. You may have done this experiment in school, as well. Take the copper wire and wind it around the iron nail. Strip the insulation on each end to the wire to allow connection to the battery. Place the paperclips in a pile or around the table which will be picked up by the electromagnet. Then attach the wires to the battery and use the iron nail to pick up the paperclips. What’s fun about this basic experiment is that you can play with the tightness of the wire wound around the nail. Does making tighter loops make the magnet stronger? Try the experiment and find out. The second experiment is the suction straw. In this experiment, the idea is to suck up a needle or similar object that fits into a straw when electricity is applied. This

Running Head: Magnetism and Electromagnetism Page 6 experiment needs a plastic straw, insulated cooper wire, a needle, and six volt battery. As before, wrap the wire around the straw and remove the insulation from the ends of the two wires. Then place the straw over the needle and notice nothing happens. Then attach the leads to the battery and watch the needle get sucked into the straw.
The experiments above are based on attraction, but what about the repel side of the equation. Magnetic repulsion deals with levitating objects as well as propulsion. Below is an experiment that explains repulsion by creating a track for a floating train:
Most magnet science projects are centered on magnetic attraction. Eighth graders can focus on the phenomenon of magnetic repulsion by creating an object that levitates. Make a maglev train by securing a series of magnets to a track. Arrange them in a row with identical poles facing upward. Attach a row of magnets to a wooden or cardboard train car. Secure the downward magnets along the train car so that their downward poles are identical to the track's upward poles. You will also have to construct guides or walls to hold the train car along its sides so that it is not repelled completely off the track. (Signal,
N.D.)
The various experiments are simple in producing and demonstrating the principles of magnetism and electromagnets and act as excellent starter points to further experiment. For example, by applying the electromagnetic suction straw concepts in more advanced experiment, you can develop a solenoid. In fact, what was built with the straw is a primitive solenoid.
Mastering the levitation concepts could result in producing a skateboard that floats similar to the one seen in the Back to the Future movie.

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Conclusion
Magnetism and Electromagnetism is a very cool and fun topic and understandable to any mind. The history of magnetism has been noted all the way back to 585 B.C. and still amazes me today. Many researchers have developed or improved theories and applications of magnets. The effects of a compass correlated the earth’s magnetic poles in relation magnetic interferences.
Even though the compass is a rudimentary example, magnetism has become very integrated in our lives todays. Power distribution to homes, refrigerator magnets, security systems, engines to name a few examples of the integration. Studies of electromagnetism have greatly changed over the years and continue to further sub-divide the field into more specific realms of interest.
Although such advanced topics like Quantum Electrodynamics may exist, anyone can dabble with the concepts of electromagnetism at home. Projects like the electromagnet and electromagnet straw can be enjoyed by any age and fun to build. So now it’s time to grab some supplies from the local hobby store or around the house and follow in the footsteps of history unraveling the theories and concepts of magnets and explores the world that power’s us today.

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Works Cited
Crystal, E. (N.D.). Mangetism. Retrieved Jan 10, 2013, from CrystalLinks Metaphysics and Science: http://www.crystalinks.com/magnetism.html
Fowler, M. (2007). Historical Beginnings of Theories of Electricity and Magnetism. Retrieved Jan 09,
2013, from Galileo and Einstein: http://galileoandeinstein.physics.virginia.edu/more_stuff/E&M_Hist.html
Signal, M. (N.D.). 8th Grade Science Projects on Magnets. Retrieved Jan 11, 2013, from ehow: http://www.ehow.com/info_8252324_8th-grade-science-projectsmagnets.html#ixzz2HuUW03Lr