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Magnets and Magnetic Fields

Part of the Electricity and Magnetism section of Coddy's Physics journey. Lesson 38 of 51.

A magnet has a north and a south pole: like poles repel, opposite poles attract. A compass's north end points along the magnetic field B.

A magnet and compasses

Field lines run from N to S outside the magnet. B is in teslas (T). ⊙ is a field out of the page, ⊗ into it.

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Challenge

Where you live, the Earth's magnetic field is 50 μT50\ \mathrm{\mu T} and points 60∘60^\circ below the horizontal. How big is its horizontal part Bh\relax B_{h}, the part a compass feels?

Try it yourself

Physics diagram: vec; arrows B, B h

Solve for BhB_{h}

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This lesson includes a short quiz. Start the lesson to answer it and track your progress.

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