The Standard Electrical Dictionary Part 61

Electro-magnet, Club-foot.

An electro-magnet, one of whose legs only is wound with wire, the other being bare.

Fig. 148. CLUB-FOOT ELECTRO-MAGNETS WITH HINGED ARMATURES.

Electro-magnet, Hinged.

An electro-magnet whose limbs are hinged at the yoke. On excitation by a current the poles tend to approach each other.

Fig. 149. ELECTRO-MAGNET, HINGED

Electro-magnetic Attraction and Repulsion.

The attraction and repulsion due to electromagnetic lines of force, which lines always tend to take as short a course as possible and also seek the medium of the highest permeance. This causes them to concentrate in iron and steel or other paramagnetic substance and to draw them towards a magnet by shortening the lines of force connecting the two. It is exactly the same attraction as that of the permanent magnet for its armature, Amp?re's theory bringing the latter under the same t.i.tle. In the case of two magnets like poles repel and unlike attract. In the case of simple currents, those in the same direction attract and those in opposite directions repel each other. This refers to constant current reactions. Thus the attraction of unlike poles of two magnets is, by the Amp?rian theory, the attraction of two sets of currents of similar direction, as is evident from the diagram. The repulsion of like poles is the repulsion of unlike currents and the same applies to solenoids, q. v. (See Magnetism and do. Amp?re's Theory of--Induction, Electro-dynamic--Electro-magnetic Induction.)

218 STANDARD ELECTRICAL DICTIONARY.

Electro-magnetic Control.

Control of a magnet, iron armature, or magnetic needle in a galvanometer, ammeter, voltmeter or similar instrument by an electro-magnetic field, the rest.i.tutive force being derived from an electro-magnet. The rest.i.tutive force is the force tending to bring the index to zero.

Electro-magnetic Field of Force.

A field of electro-magnetic lines of force, q. v., established through the agency of an electric current. A wire carrying a current is surrounded by circular concentric lines of force which have the axis of the wire as the locus of their centres. Electro-magnets produce lines of force identical with those produced by permanent magnets. (See Field of Force--Magnetic Field of Force--Controlling Field--Deflecting Field.)

Electro-magnetic Induction.

When two currents of unlike direction are brought towards each other, against their natural repulsive tendency work is done, and the consequent energy takes the form of a temporary increase in both currents. When withdrawn, in compliance with the natural tendency of repulsion, the currents are diminished in intensity, because energy is not expended on the withdrawal, but the withdrawal is at the expense of the energy of the system. The variations thus temporarily produced in the currents are examples of electro-magnetic induction. The currents have only the duration in each case of the motion of the circuits. One circuit is considered as carrying the inducer current and is termed the primary circuit and its current the primary current, the others are termed the secondary circuit and current respectively. We may a.s.sume a secondary circuit in which there is no current. It is probable that there is always an infinitely small current at least, in every closed circuit. Then an approach of the circuits will induce in the secondary an instantaneous current in the reverse direction. On separating the two circuits a temporary current in the same direction is produced in the secondary.

219 STANDARD ELECTRICAL DICTIONARY.

A current is surrounded by lines of force. The approach of two circuits, one active, involves a change in the lines of force about the secondary circuit. Lines of force and current are so intimately connected that a change in one compels a change in the other. Therefore the induced current in the secondary may be attributed to the change in the field of force in which it lies, a field maintained by the primary circuit and current. Any change in a field of force induces a current or change of current in any closed circuit in such field, lasting as long as the change is taking place. The new current will be of such direction as to oppose the change. (See Lenz's Law.)

The action as referred to lines of force may be figured as the cutting of such lines by the secondary circuit, and such cutting may be brought about by moving the secondary in the field. (See Lines of Force--Field of Force.) The cutting of 1E8 lines of force per second by a closed circuit induces an electro-motive force of one volt. (See Induction, Mutual, Coefficient of.)

Electro-magnet, Iron Clad.

A magnet whose coil and core are encased in a iron jacket, generally connected to one end of the core. This gives at one end two poles, one tubular, the other solid, and concentric with each other. It is sometimes called a tubular magnet.

Electro-magnet, One Coil.

An electro-magnet excited by one coil. In some dynamos the field magnets are of this construction, a single coil, situated about midway between the poles, producing the excitation.

Electro-magnetic Leakage.

The leakage of lines of force in an electro-magnet; the same as magnetic leakage. (See Magnetic Leakage.)

Electro-magnetic Lines of Force.

The lines of force produced in an electro-magnetic field. They are identical with Magnetic Lines of Force, q. v. (See also Field of Force-Line of Force.)

Electro-magnetic Stress.

The stress in an electro-magnetic field of force, showing itself in the polarization of light pa.s.sing through a transparent medium in such a field. (See Magnetic Rotary Polarization.)

Electro-magnetic Theory of Light.

This theory is due to J. Clark Maxwell, and the recent Hertz experiments have gone far to prove it. It holds that the phenomena of light are due to ether waves, identical in general factors with those produced by electro-magnetic induction of alternating currents acting on the ether.

In a non-conductor any disturbance sets an ether wave in motion owing to its rest.i.tutive force; electricity does not travel through such a medium, but can create ether waves in it. Therefore a non-conductor of electricity is permeable to waves of ether or should transmit light, or should be transparent. A conductor on the other hand transmits electrical disturbances because it has no rest.i.tutive force and cannot support an ether wave. Hence a conductor should not transmit light, or should be opaque. With few exceptions dielectrics or non-conductors are transparent, and conductors are opaque.

220 STANDARD ELECTRICAL DICTIONARY.

Again, the relation between the electrostatic and electro-magnet units of quant.i.ty is expressed by 1 : 30,000,000,000; the latter figure in centimeters gives approximately the velocity of light. The electro-magnetic unit depending on electricity in motion should have this precise relation if an electro-magnetic disturbance was propagated with the velocity of light. If an electrically charged body were whirled around a magnetic needle with the velocity of light, it should act in the same way as a current circulating around it. This effect to some extent has been shown experimentally by Rowland.

A consequence of these conclusions is (Maxwell) that the specific inductive capacity of a non-conductor or dielectric should be equal to the square of its index of refraction for waves of infinite length. This is true for some substances--sulphur, turpentine, petroleum and benzole.

In others the specific inductive capacity is too high, e. g., vegetable and animal oils, gla.s.s, Iceland spar, fluor spar, and quartz.

Electro-magnetic Unit of Energy.

A rate of transference of energy equal to ten meg-ergs per second.

Electro-magnetism.

The branch of electrical science treating of the magnetic relations of a field of force produced by a current, of the reactions of electro-magnetic lines of force, of the electromagnetic field of force, of the susceptibility, permeability, and reluctance of diamagnetic and paramagnetic substances, and of electro-magnets in general.

Electro-magnet, Long Range.

An electro-magnet so constructed with extended pole pieces or otherwise, as to attract its armature with reasonably constant force over a considerable distance. The coil and plunger, q. v., mechanisms ill.u.s.trate one method of getting an extended range of action. When a true electro-magnet is used, one with an iron core, only a very limited range is attainable at the best. (See Electro-magnet, Stopped Coil--do.

Plunger.)

Electro-magnet, Plunger.

An electro-magnet with hollow coils, into which the armature enters as a plunger. To make it a true electro-magnet it must have either a yoke, incomplete core, or some polarized ma.s.s of iron.

Electro-magnet, Polarized.

An electro-magnet consisting of a polarized or permanently magnetized core wound with magnetizing coils, or with such coils on soft iron cores mounted on its ends. The coils may be wound and connected so as to cooperate with or work against the permanent magnet on which it is mounted. In Hughes' magnet shown in the cut it is mounted in opposition, so that an exceedingly feeble current will act to displace the armature, a, which is pulled away from the magnet by a spring, s.

221 STANDARD ELECTRICAL DICTIONARY.

Fig. 150 HUGHES' POLARIZED ELECTRO-MAGNET