What Is Magnetic Field And Its Significance?|Magnetic Field

Magnetic Field: The region around a magnet where its poles exhibit a force of attraction or repulsion is called magnetic field.

Contents

Magnetic Field and its Significance

The region around a magnet where its poles exhibit a force of attraction or repulsion is called
magnetic field.

The existence of the magnetic field at a point around the magnet can also be determined by placing a magnetic needle at that point as shown in Fig. given below.

Although magnetic lines of force have no real existence and are purely imaginary, yet their concept is very useful to understand various magnetic effects.

Properties of magnetic lines of force

It is assumed (because of their effects) that the magnetic lines of force possess the following
important properties:

(i) The direction of magnetic lines of force is from N-pole to the S-pole outside the magnet. But
inside the magnet their direction is from S-pole to N-pole.
(ii) They form a closed loop.
(iii) Their tendency is to follow the least reluctance path.
(iv) They act like stretched cords, always trying to shorten themselves.
(v) They never intersect each other.
(vi) They repel each other when they are parallel and are in the same direction.
(vii) They remain unaffected by non-magnetic materials.