BASIC MAGNETISM

4. Basic Magnetism
The orbiting direction and the spinning electrons in an atom produce the
magnetic field. The direction of the spin and orbit determine the direction
of the magnetic field. The strength of this field is called the magnetic
moment.
Most materials with one or more unpaired electrons are at least
slightly magnetic. Materials with a small attraction to a magnet
are called paramagnetic materials, and those with a strong
attraction are called ferromagnetic materials.

Properties of a Magnet
 A magnet Attracts magnetic materials

 A magnet attracts magnetic material with increasing force as it is

brought closer.

 A magnet will establish. within a magnetic material, Similar

Properties.

 Unlike poles of magnets attract and like poles repel.

  A magnet exerts a force of varying intensity around itself, called
a Magnetic Field.

 When freely suspended a magnet will align itself with the Earth’s
Magnetic field.

PROPERTIES FOR MAGNETIC LINES OF FORCE

 Lines of force never cross.

 Lines of force take parallel paths and tend to repel each other.

 They form continuous loops, which are never broken.

 Seek a path of least magnetic resistance or reluctance in

completing their path.
 They are considered to have direction, leaving from the North to
the South Pole (Through Air) and from the South to North Pole
through the Magnet.

 Their density decreases with increasing distance from the poles.

 They never leave or enter at the center of the magnet.

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Magnetic Substances: All materials are divided into three categories
that make up the magnetic substance groups:

• Diamagnetic - when placed in a magnetic field, these materials repel

that field e.g. zinc, gold, mercury, and copper.

• Paramagnetic - when placed in a magnetic field these become weakly

magnetized e.g. platinum, aluminum, manganese, and oxygen.

• Ferromagnetic - these materials are strongly magnetized when

placed in a magnetic field e.g. iron, cobalt, nickel.

MATERIAL DESCRIPTION RELATIVE PERMEABILITY

Gold 0.999964
Silver 0.99998
Copper 0.999991
Lead 0.999983
Water 0.999991
Mercury 0.999968
Bismuth 0.99983

Diamagnetic Materials
Diamagnetic: materials having all paired electrons in the atoms
therefore having no net magnetism. When placed in a magnetic field,
diamagnetic materials will produce a slight magnetic field that opposes
the primary magnetic field. Both ends of a bar magnet will repel a
diamagnetic material. If a diamagnetic material is placed in a strong
external magnetic field, the magnetic field strength inside the material
will be less than the magnetic field strength in the air surrounding the
material. The slight decrease in the field strength is the result of
realignment in the orbit motion of the electrons.

The key concept in magnetism is that diamagnetic materials will

oppose an applied magnetic field. Both ends of a magnet will repel
diamagnetic materials. Are all materials having unpaired electrons
magnetic in nature?

Paramagnetic Materials

Paramagnetic metals have a small and positive susceptibility to

magnetic fields. These materials are slightly attracted by a magnetic
field and the material does not retain the magnetic properties when the
external field is removed. Paramagnetic properties are due to the
presence of some unpaired electrons and from the realignment of the
electron orbits caused by the external magnetic field.

MATERIAL DESCRIPTION RELATIVE PERMEABILITY

Cobalt (99%) annealed 250
Nickel (99%) annealed 600
Iron (99.8%) annealed 200000
Steel (0.9%) carbon 100

Ferromagnetic Metals
Ferromagnetic metals have a large and positive susceptibility to
an external magnetic field, They exhibit a strong attraction to magnetic
fields and are able to retain their magnetic properties after the external
field has been removed. Ferromagnetic materials have some unpaired
electrons so their atoms have a net magnetic moment. They get their
strong magnetic properties due to the presence of magnetic domains.

MAGNETIC PROPERTIES

PERMEABILITY

• The ease with which a material can become magnetized.

• Example: soft steel has high permeability

• The ratio of the flux density (B) developed when a magnetizing force
strength (H) is applied.

µ= B/H

where:

µ = permeability
B = flux density

H = magnetizing force

UNIT: Henrys/meter

NOTE: There is no such thing as the permeability of a piece of steel.

Material permeability is a ratio B/H and varies as H is varied.

MAGNETIZING FORCE
  The magnetizing field applied to a ferromagnetic material to
induce magnetization.

Symbol: H

Unit: Ampere/meter
(Oersted)

MAGNETIC FLUX
 The total number of lines of force existing in a magnetic circuit

Unit: Weber (Maxwell)

MAGNETIC FLUX DENSITY

 The strength of a magnetic field expressed in number of flux lines
passing transversely through a unit area.

Symbol: B

Unit: Tesla (Gauss)

SATURATION POINT
 The point at which further increase in the magnetizing force
produces no further increase in the flux density.

MAGNETIC PROPERTIES

RELUCTANCE

• The opposition of a magnetic. material to the establishment of a

magnetic field.
• Example: High reluctance = High carbon steel

RETENTIVITY

• The ability of a material to retain a portion of the applied magnetic

field after the magnetizing force has been removed.

• Example: High retentivity = High carbon steel

RESIDUAL MAGNETISM
 The magnetic flux density that is remanent in a material when the
magnetizing force is zero. Note that residual magnetism and
retentivity are the same when the material has been magnetized
to the saturation point.

COERCIVE FORCE
 The reverse magnetic field strength required to reduce the bulk
magnetism to zero.

HYSTERESIS
 The lagging of the magnetic effect when the magnetic force acting
upon a ferromagnetic body is changed; the phenomenon exhibited
by a magnetic system wherein its state is influenced by its
previous magnetic history.

HYSTERESIS LOOP
 A curve showing flux density B plotted as a function of
magnetizing force H as the magnetizing force is increased to the
saturation point in both directions, negative and positive
sequentially.
 HYSTERESIS

A = SATURATION POING
O to a = VIRGIN CURVE
O to b = RESIDUAL MANETIZING FORCE
O to c = COERCIVE FORCE
HYSTERESIS LOOP CHARACTERISTICS