Meaning & use
electromagnet
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablephysics
A magnet made by passing an electric current through a coil of wire, usually wrapped around iron, which stops working when the current is switched off.
Grammar: Countable: one electromagnet, two electromagnets.
Patterns
- an electromagnet in something
- power an electromagnet
The students built an electromagnet from a nail and some copper wire.
Turning off the current makes the electromagnet drop the nail.
A powerful electromagnet lifted the crushed car.
nouncountabletechnical
A device that uses this kind of magnet to lift, sort, or control things, such as in a scrapyard crane, a speaker or a lock.
Grammar: Often described by its job: a lifting electromagnet.
The scrapyard crane used an electromagnet to move steel.
An electromagnet holds the door shut until the alarm sounds.
Doorbells often contain an electromagnet.
Word forms
| plural | electromagnets |
|---|
Common combinations
- powerful electromagnet
- A powerful electromagnet can lift several tons.
- switch off the electromagnet
- Switch off the electromagnet and the metal falls.
- build an electromagnet
- We built an electromagnet in science class.
- electromagnet coil
- The electromagnet coil became warm.
- magnetic field of an electromagnet
- The magnetic field of an electromagnet grows with more current.
Synonyms and how they differ
- solenoid
- A solenoid is a coil that makes a magnetic field and often moves a rod, so it is more specific than electromagnet.
- magnet
- Magnet is the general word, but unlike an electromagnet it does not need electric current.
- permanent magnet
- A permanent magnet stays magnetic at all times, whereas an electromagnet can be switched on and off.
Opposites
Word family
- electromagnetic adjective
- relating to electricity and magnetism together
- electromagnetism noun
- the force that links electricity and magnetism
- magnet noun
- an object that attracts iron
- magnetize verb
- to make something magnetic
Commonly confused: electromagnet or electromagnetic?
electromagnet vs electromagnetic
Electromagnetic is the adjective, as in electromagnetic waves, while an electromagnet is the device itself.
Practice
The crane lifted the scrap metal with a large ___ that dropped it when the power was cut.
Choose one answer.
An electromagnet releases its load when current stops. A permanent magnet cannot be switched off, so the metal would never drop.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “electromagnet”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.