Introduction
magnetic field.
Comprehending the Magnetic Field
Fundamentally, a magnetic field is an area in space where magnetic forces are applied to electric charges that are in motion or to magnetic materials. It is depicted by force lines that emerge from magnetic objects and form patterns that reveal information about the direction and strength of the field. Teslas are a unit of measurement for magnetic field strength; higher values correspond to stronger fields.
Origins of the Magnetic Field
Significance of the Magnetic Field
- Navigation: Magnetic field has caught popularity first and foremost as a method of navigation on the early stage. Compass, which was discovered long ago and it points along the Earth's magnetic lines, has been a reliable tool for sailors and explorers to select the right path. It is still amiss that the GPS system operates with the aid of an inclinometer or a magnetic compass for improved position accuracy.
- Electromagnetism: Magnetic field represents only one aspect of electromagnetism, essentially the current electricity. Without electric motors, generators, transformers and other the electrical devices it will be impossible to generate any energy , none of these will function. Scientists do that by adjusting the magnetic fields navigated by currents of electricity directly. Consequently, they can produce motion, generate electricity, and transfer energy effectively.
- Communication and Information Storage: Though magnetic field was one of the most mysterious things in the past, today it performs many functions that underly modern communication and data storage. From the magnetic tapes, hard drives, and magnetically-driven magnetic imaging (MRI) machines to the various materials with magnetically-based properties that are used to store and read data and generate detailed images of the internal body structures, we can safely say that magnetism is indeed a key player here.
- Astrophysics: Astral physics in space finds the magnetic fields there the basis of the physical behavior of celestial entities and the effector of the cosmic phenomena’s long-term trends. The main role of these entities in the natural realm is to produce solar flares, auroras and the galaxies that come out of stars. It is vital to know more about the magnetic fields detected in the universe in order to untangle many of its mysteries.
- Biology: The magnetic field is also very important for biological systems and a number of creatures, in migratory bird and marine life, have the natural capability of using the earth magnet field in their navigation and orientation. Researchers and biologists talk a lot about the magnetoreception, a phenomenon, which illustrates the complexity of the connection between organisms and their environment.
The existence of the magnetic field at a point around the magnet can also be determined by placing a magnetic needle at that point as shown in Fig. 1. Although magnetic lines of force have no real existence and are purely imaginary, yet their concept is very useful to understand various magnetic effects. It is assumed (because of their effects) that the magnetic lines of force possess the following important properties:
- The direction of magnetic lines of force is from N-pole to the S-pole outside the magnet.But inside the magnet their direction is from S-pole to N-pole.
- They form a closed loop.
- Their tendency is to follow the least reluctance path.
- They act like stretched cords, always trying to shorten themselves.
- They never intersect each other.
- They repel each other when they are parallel and are in the same direction.
- They remain unaffected by non-magnetic materials.