PLAYING THE MAGNETIC FIELD

Magnetism Magnetism is a FIELD FORCE Acts over a DISTANCE without CONTACT Magnets produce FIELDS around them that influence some types of metal IRON, NICKEL, and COBALT Closely related to ELECTRICITY

Magnetic Field Lines Magnetic fields can be represented using FIELD LINES drawn around magnetic objects Magnetic fields lines travel from NORTH poles to SOUTH poles OUTSIDE magnets Field lines DO NOT CROSS one another

Where do magnets come from? Oersted observed… moving a CHARGED OBJECT makes a MAGNETIC FIELD Magnetic field around a current carrying wire

Magnetic field around a current carrying wire

One HUGE Magnet Around 1600, William Gilbert proposed that the EARTH is a giant magnet Current theory states: Convection currents in the Earth’s LIQUID, OUTER IRON core cause it to have a strong magnetic field What gives the EARTH its magnetic field?

The Earth’s Magnetosphere What is so important about Earth’s magnetosphere? Preserves atmosphere by blocking ‘solar wind’ Protects life on Earth from ‘some’ cosmic ray radiation