Magnetic phenomena first observed at least 2500 years ago in fragments of magnetized iron ore
Permanent magnets
Exert forces on each other as well as on pieces of iron that were not magnetized
When an iron rod is brought in contact with a natural magnet, the rod also becomes magnetized
When floated on water or suspended by a string from its center, tend to line up in a north-south direction
Magnetic poles
One end of a bar magnet is a north pole (N pole), the other end is a south pole (S pole)
Opposite poles attract each other, and like poles repel each other
Magnetic declination or magnetic variation
The earth's magnetic axis is not quite parallel to its geographicaxis, so a compass reading deviates somewhat from geographic north
Magnetic inclination
The magnetic field angled up or down on the earth's surface, at the magnetic poles the magnetic field is vertical
Magnetic field lines
Show the direction that a compass would point at each location
The direction of the field at any point can be defined as the direction of the force that the field would exert on a magnetic north pole
There is no such thing as magnetic monopole or isolated magnetic pole, they always appear in pairs
Magnetic field lines
The direction of the magnetic field is tangent to the field line at any point in space
The strength of the field is proportional to the closeness of the lines
Magnetic field lines can never cross, meaning that the field is unique at any point in space
Magnetic field lines are continuous, forming closed loops without a beginning or end, directed from the north pole to the south pole
The north and south poles cannot be separated, unlike electric field lines
Motion of charged particle in a magnetic field
Magnetic force is always perpendicular to velocity, so that it does no work on the charged particle
The particle's kinetic energy and speed thus remain constant, but the directionof motion is affected
Magnetic forces on current
A current-carrying wire produces circular loops of magnetic field
To determine the direction of the magnetic field, use the right-hand rule: thumb points in the direction of the current, fingers wrap around the wire in the direction of the magnetic field