Magnetic Fields.

When asked about magnetic fields most of you would think about bar magnets or a compass needle.

Magnetic fields play an important part in our every day lives. Without them we would not have alternating currents to power household items nor would we be able to navigate. Lets find out more about magnetic fields, how we encounter them, and the uses of them in every day life.

Q) What is a magnetic field and where do magnetic fields come from ?

Magnetic fields are caused by the natural movement of eletrons. The simplist way to encounter a magnetic field is to take a bar magnetic. In a bar magnetic the electrons in the atoms of the magnetic align in a certain way to produce a magnetic field. Objects are said to be magnetic and have magnetic fields, if they are able to attract and repel each other, when they are both in electrical charge balance. When in charge balance there is no Coulomb attraction between the two objects. In the same way that electric charges have electric field lines an object which is magnetic has magnetic field lines. The magnetic field lines give the direction in which the magnetic force acts and below are the magnetic field lines of a bar magnetic.

The field lines for a bar magnet come out of the North pole and enter into the South pole. Unlike electric field lines magnetic field lines do not begin or end. The either form closed loops or extend out to infinity.

No, since magnetic field lines are continous both inside and outside
the magnetic you get two north poles and two south poles.

When two magnets are brought together unlike poles attract and like poles repel.

As well as having bar magnetics, magnetic fields can also be produced by a flow of electrons such as an electrical current.