Electromagnets and Electric Motors

Vocabulary flashcards derived from lecture notes on the principles of electromagnets, solenoids, and simple electric motors.

Bar magnets

Magnets that stay magnetic all the time.

Electromagnets

Magnets made from a current-carrying wire that can be turned on and off.

Solenoid

A long coil of wire whose magnetic field is the same as that of a bar magnet when a current flows through it.

Methods to Increase Electromagnet Strength

Increase the current in the wire, add more turns on the solenoid, or place a core of soft iron inside the solenoid.

Soft iron core

The specific material used in an electromagnet to ensure the magnet turns on and off with the current.

Steel core

A material that would stay magnetised after the current is switched off, making it unsuitable for an electromagnet core.

Simple electric motor

A device made from a loop of coiled wire in a magnetic field that turns when current flows due to forces acting in opposite directions.