AQA · GCSE · Physics
Course version: 8463 · Version from Sept 2016
The region around a magnet where a force acts on another magnet or on a…
Full specification wording
Magnetic fields: The region around a magnet where a force acts on another magnet or on a magnetic material (iron, steel, cobalt and nickel) is called the magnetic field.
The magnetic field is the region around a magnet where a force acts on another magnet or on a magnetic material.
Checked against the AQA 8463 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 6
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The magnetic field is the region around a magnet where a force acts on another magnet or on a magnetic material. The magnetic materials are iron, steel, cobalt and nickel; copper, aluminium, brass and plastic feel no force at all, so most metals are not magnetic. The definition is written in terms of force for a reason: the field is not something you can see, and you detect it by placing a test object, such as a plotting compass, and watching for a force or a turning effect. The field exists in three dimensions around the magnet whether or not anything is there to feel it, is strongest at the poles, and gets weaker with distance.
What earns the marks
- Defining the magnetic field as the region around a magnet where a force acts.
- Stating that the force acts on another magnet or on a magnetic material.
- Naming magnetic materials, such as iron, steel, cobalt or nickel.
- Stating that the field is there whether or not a second object is present to experience the force.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Defining the field as the region where the field lines are drawn, with no mention of force.
Stating that all metals are magnetic materials.
Giving the definition of an electric field, a region where a charged object experiences a force.
Describing the field as something the magnet touches or gives off.
Exam tips
- Learn the definition as one sentence: the region around a magnet where a force acts on another magnet or a magnetic material.
- Name at least one magnetic material if the question mentions materials.
- Do not swap in the electric field definition; check whether the question says magnet or charge.
Try the lesson
The start of the Magnetic fields: The region around a magnet where a force acts on another magnet or on a magnetic material (iron, steel, cobalt and nickel) is called the magnetic field. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
What name is given to the region around a magnet in which a force acts on another magnet or on a magnetic material?
Listen
The magnetic field is the region around a magnet where a force acts on another magnet or on a magnetic material. The magnetic materials are iron, steel, cobalt and nickel; copper, aluminium, brass and plastic feel no force at all, so most metals are not magnetic. The definition is written in terms of force for a reason: the field is not something you can see, and you detect it by placing a test object, such as a plotting compass, and watching for a force or a turning effect. The field exists in three dimensions around the magnet whether or not anything is there to feel it, is strongest at the poles, and gets weaker with distance. A strong answer earns marks for these points. defining the magnetic field as the region around a magnet where a force acts. stating that the force acts on another magnet or on a magnetic material. naming magnetic materials, such as iron, steel, cobalt or nickel. stating that the field is there whether or not a second object is present to experience the force. Exam tip: Learn the definition as one sentence: the region around a magnet where a force acts on another magnet or a magnetic material.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
magnetic field
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magnetic materials
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detecting a field
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field around a magnet
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See every definition
- magnetic field
- The region around a magnet where a force acts on another magnet or on a magnetic material.
- magnetic materials
- Iron, steel, cobalt and nickel, on which the force from a magnet acts.
- detecting a field
- Placing a test object, such as a plotting compass, and watching for a force or a turning effect.
- field around a magnet
- It exists in three dimensions whether or not anything is there to feel it, is strongest at the poles, and gets weaker with distance.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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