Magnetism and magnetic forces

Magnetism is caused by the fields that exist around magnets. These magnetic fields can be investigated by looking at the effects of the forces they exert on other magnets and magnetic materials.

Electromagnetism is the interaction between electric charges and magnetic fields, and describes how electricity and magnetism are linked. Electrons moving in a wire create a magnetic field around the wire, which can interact with external magnetic fields to produce a force.

Electromagnetic induction can create a voltage. This voltage can make current flow, and the effect is used in electricity generation.

Transformers use electromagnetic induction to change the potential difference of alternating currents. Potential difference and current changes can be calculated, as the power transfer is constant.

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