Skip to main content
Workforce LibreTexts

3: Electromagnetism

  • Page ID
    3404
    • Camosun College
    • BCCampus (Download for free at http://open.bccampus.ca/find-open-textbooks)
    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    A magnet attracts ferrous metals and some alloys. Magnets can take three forms:

    • natural
    • artificial
    • electric

    Natural magnets (i.e., magnetite) are very weak. Artificial magnets are made from magnetic materials (such as iron, nickel, and cobalt) and are given a strong magnetic force during construction. These are permanent magnets and have some limited use. Electromagnets can be easily turned on and off and are in common use because they are not permanent. They are called temporary magnets.


    This page titled 3: Electromagnetism is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Camosun College (BCCampus (Download for free at http://open.bccampus.ca/find-open-textbooks)) .

    • Was this article helpful?