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SingaporeCombined ScienceQuick questions
Physics: Waves, Electricity and Magnetism
Quick questions on Magnetism and electromagnetism: N(A)-Level Combined Science Physics
4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are magnetic poles?Show answer
Every magnet has two poles, a north pole and a south pole. The rule for how they interact is:
What are magnetic materials?Show answer
Only a few materials are magnetic (can be attracted to a magnet or made into one): iron, steel, nickel and cobalt. Most metals, such as copper and aluminium, are not magnetic. We split magnetic materials into:
What are magnetic fields?Show answer
The region around a magnet where it can affect a magnetic material is its magnetic field. We draw it with field lines that:
What are electromagnets?Show answer
When a current flows through a coil of wire, it produces a magnetic field, turning the coil into a magnet called an electromagnet. Adding a soft iron core through the middle makes it much stronger. The big advantage of an electromagnet is that it can be switched on and off, and its strength can be changed.
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