7.2.5

Motors

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Force Acting on a Coil in a Magnetic Field

In a magnetic field, a coil of wire carrying a current experiences forces that make it rotate about its axis. To increase the force acting on the coil:

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More turns on the coil

  • Increasing the number of turns on the coil increases the size of the turning force.
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Higher current

  • Increasing the current through the coil increases the size of the turning force.
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Magnetic field strength

  • Increasing the strength of the magnetic field increases the size of the turning force.

Loudspeakers

A moving-coil loudspeaker or set of headphones has an electromagnet inside a coil. A signal is passed to the loudspeaker in the form of a changing current.

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Change in current causes change in magnetic field

  • As the direction of the current changes, the direction of the magnetic field induced (brought about) in the electromagnet changes.
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Magnetic field change

  • A stationary (not moving) magnet repeatedly attracts and repels the electromagnet.
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Speakers vibrate

  • This causes the speakers to move backwards and forwards.
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Sound is created

  • This creates sound waves.

Jump to other topics

1Energy

2Electricity

3Particle Model of Matter

4Atoms & Radiation

5Forces

6Waves

7Magnetism

8Astrophysics

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