Electromagnet
part · 1824 · Industrial Revolution
A core with a winding that is magnetized by current (Sturgeon).
Inventor: William Sturgeon.
What it is made of
- Copper wire — has part. A winding.
Principles and materials it uses
- Electromagnetism — uses. Current creates a magnetic field.
- Iron — is made of. An iron core.
Where it is used
- Electric motor — is part of. A motor’s windings are electromagnets.
- Electrical telegraph — is part of. Morse’s receiver.
- Relay — is part of. An electromagnet switches the contacts.
- Tape recorder — is part of. Recording heads are electromagnets.
- Strowger switch — is part of. Electromagnetic stepping mechanisms.
- Electric bell — is part of. An electromagnet strikes a small hammer.
- Electron microscope — is used in. Magnetic lenses.
- Particle accelerator — is used in. Bending magnets.
- Intercom — is part of. An electromagnetic lock.
- Burglar alarm — is part of. A bell.
- Mass spectrometer — is used in. Deflecting ions with a field.
- Cyclotron — is part of. A magnet.
- Pinball — is part of. Flippers are solenoids.
- School bell — is part of. An electromagnet strikes the hammer.
- Particle accelerator — is part of. Bending and focusing magnets.
- Bubble chamber — is part of. The field bends the tracks.
What it is a kind of
- Superconducting magnet — includes. An electromagnet.
Things built in a similar way
- Inductor — works like. An inductor and an electromagnet are both coiled wire; current through them makes a magnetic field.
- Permanent magnet — works like. An electromagnet attracts iron like a permanent magnet, but only while current flows.