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Describe how a student can determine the shape of the magnetic field around the solenoid - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 4 - 2016 - Paper 1
Question 4
Describe how a student can determine the shape of the magnetic field around the solenoid. A student investigates the magnetic properties of three rods. Each rod is ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Describe how a student can determine the shape of the magnetic field around the solenoid - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 4 - 2016 - Paper 1
Step 1
Describe how a student can determine the shape of the magnetic field around the solenoid.
Answer
To determine the shape of the magnetic field around a solenoid, a student can use a small compass. The student should:
- Place the solenoid horizontally and connect it to a direct current power supply.
- Switch on the power supply to energize the solenoid.
- Use the compass to trace the direction of the magnetic field lines around the solenoid by moving the compass around it.
- Mark the points where the compass needle aligns, indicating the direction of the field lines.
- Repeat this at various points around the solenoid to get a comprehensive map of the field lines, which will show the characteristic pattern around the solenoid.
Step 2
A student investigates the magnetic properties of three rods.
Answer
To investigate the magnetic properties of the rods made from soft iron, steel, and wood:
- Insert the first rod (soft iron) into the solenoid and switch on the current.
- Count the number of paper clips it can pick up and record the value.
- Repeat this for the second rod (steel) and the third rod (wood).
- Compare the results: the rod that picks up the most paper clips is the strongest magnetic material, which is expected to be soft iron, followed by steel, with wood showing little to no magnetism.