AQA GCSE Solenoid(Physics)
Solenoid.
A solenoid is a long coil of insulated wire. Insulated means that the copper coil is wrapped in plastic insulating material.
A solenoid is used to produce a strong magnetic field.
Inside the solenoid the magnetic field lines are virtually parallel, producing a strong and uniform magnetic field inside the solenoid. This is because the field lines from each coil of wire overlap and combine in the same direction inside the coil. This reinforces the field, making it stronger and more uniform inside the solenoid.
The magnetic field around a solenoid has a similar shape to that of a bar magnet.
Direction of magnetic field of a solenoid.
The direction of the current will indicate which end of the solenoid is the North or South pole.
If the current flows:
Clockwise = South pole
Anticlockwise = North pole
Increasing the magnetic field of a solenoid.
The strength of the magnetic field can be increased by:
1.Increasing the size of the current that flows through the solenoid
2. Placing a soft iron core inside the solenoid. A soft iron core is an iron bar. The soft iron core helps to concentrate the magnetic field lines, to increase magnetic field strength.
Describe how the magnetic effect of a current can be demonstrated
1.Set up a solenoid (a coil of wire) connected to a power supply.
2.Place a compass near one end of the solenoid.
3.Before current flows: The compass points north (Earth’s magnetic field).
4.Switch on the current: The compass needle deflects.
5.Move the compass around the solenoid to map out the magnetic field.
This shows that a magnetic field is produced by the current in the solenoid, and that it has a clear direction—just like a bar magnet.
Practice Question
1.State what a solenoid is
2. Explain why a solenoid can produce a much stronger magnetic field compared to a wire
3. How do we know which end of the solenoid is the North or the South pole ?
4. Write an experiment to prove how the magetic effect of a current can be demonstrated by using iron filings and a solenoid.
Absorption and Emission of EM Radiation
JJ Thomson and Plum pudding model
Ernest Rutherford and the Nuclear Model
Niels Bohr changing the Nuclear Model
Discovering the Proton and Neutron
Measuring radiation from radioactivity
Radiation types and properties
Random nature of radioactive decay
Radioactive contamination or irradiation
Hazards of contamination and irradiation
Studies on the effects of radiation on humans
Different half lives of radioactive isotopes
Nuclear Fission Chain Reaction
Writing nuclear fission equations
Drawing ray diagrams for a concave lens
Drawing Ray Diagram to produce a virtual image for a convex lens
Drawing ray diagram to produce a real image for a convex lens.
Specular and Diffuse Reflection
Seeing Coloured Objects Part 2
Viewing objects through coloured filters
Transparent, Translucent and Opaque
Accordion Content
Accordion Content