Author: michael lin

TO: Prof. Jason Ellis  

FROM: Michael Lin  

DATE: October 20, 2020   

SUBJECT: Expanded Definition of magnetic field  

Introduction

The purpose of this document is to expanded definition of a word that we might use in our future careers. The team that I will be defining in this document is “magnetic field” in this document I will first discuss the definition of “Magnetic Field” follow by some context discussion and finally I will provide a working definition of the term “Magnetic field”   

Definition

Here is some definition of the term “magnetic field.” FromA Dictionary of Electronics and Electrical Engineering (5 ed.) it states that magnetic field is: ” The space surrounding a magnet or a current-carrying conductor and containing magnetic flux.” in other word magnetic field is a force field that surround a magnet or things that carrying current and containing magnetic flux. Another definition for the term magnetic field is from Anderson, Michael. Electricity. 1st ed. New York: Britannica Educational Pub: “The region around a magnet in which magnetic forces can be seen is called a magnetic field. An electric current also creates a magnetic field”. This mean definition means that the area around a magnet that has magnetic force is call the magnetic field. The third definition for the term “Magnetic Field” are from Oxford English Dictionary, it state: “a field of the kind that is produced by a magnetic body (also by an electric current and a varying electric field) and acts on magnetic material.”  

 Base on the three definition that we get, we can see that the definition we got for the term “Magnetic Field” are similar in different area of study. It all defines as “a force field around a magnet or things that carry current near its surrounding. So we can conclude that the definition of the term “Magnetic field” won’t change if it was been use in different subject of the writing.  

Context

Here is some context that are using the term “magnetic field.” one article written by John Noble Wilford stated: “The other major planets in the Solar System, Jupiter, Saturn and the Earth, have strong magnetic fields that trap and accelerate interplanetary particles.” This sentence means that the major planet in our system all has magnetic field that pull the interplanetary particle toward them. Also, the term “magnetic Field” in this sentence meant the force field that surround the planet.  

The second article that also has the term “magnetic field” are written by K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, its state: “The earth’s magnetic field may help some animals navigate as they migrate. People have been using magnetic compasses for navigation since the fifteenth century. Because it has been so important for navigation, the magnetic field has been mapped all over the surface of the earth.” This sentence meant that some animal would use the earth’s magnetic field to help them to navigate their way around during the cold season as they need to migrate to a warmer place. Human also use magnetic field to help them navigate around the world during the fifteenth century by using magnetic compass.   

The third article that has the term “magnetic field” are written by James Gorman, its state:” Birds have to have a way to detect a magnetic field, and some part of the brain has to register that information; it seems likely that another part of the brain then compares the incoming information to a stored map.” This statement meant that part of the bird brain was able to absorb the earth’s magnetic field and use it as information and create a map in their brain to help the fly around the world. In this sentence, the term “magnetic field” was described as wave of current that flow around the Earth and was been pick up by birds.  

Working Definition

Based on the quote and the definition from different source, now we can conclude that “Magnetic Field” is a force field that around a magnet or thing that carrying current. Many things in this world has magnetic field around them, for example our planet Earth has magnetic field around it. Even the human has magnetic field, but it is much weaker than the others. Many electrical engineers need to have knowledge about magnetic field for their career, this is the basic of electrical engineering.    

Reference

1. Anderson, Michael. Electricity. 1st ed. New York: Britannica Educational Pub. In association with Rosen Educational Services, 2012. Print. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/citytech-ebooks/reader.action?docID=79  

2. (2020). magnetic field. In Gorse, C., Johnston, D., & Pritchard, M. (Eds.), A Dictionary of Construction, Surveying and Civil Engineering. : Oxford University Press. Retrieved 4 Oct. 2020, from https://www-oxfordreference-com.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu/view/10.1093/acref/9780198832485.001.0001/acref-9780198832485-e-4228.  
3. Gorman, J. (2012, April 26). Study Sheds Light on How Birds Navigate by Magnetic Field. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/27/science/study-sheds-light-on-how-pigeons-navigate-by-magnetic-field.html?searchResultPosition=9  
4. Magnetic Field. (2003). In K. L. Lerner & B. W. Lerner (Eds.), World of Earth Science (Vol. 2, p. 358). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3437800369/GVRL?u=cuny_nytc&sid=GVRL&xid=06073f2f  
5. Wilford, J. (1986, January 24). EVIDENCE OF MAGNETIC FIELD IS FOUND. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/24/us/evidence-of-magnetic-field-is-found.html  
6. “magnetic, adj. and n.”. OED Online. September 2020. Oxford University Press. https://www-oed-com.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu/view/Entry/112270?redirectedFrom=magnetic+field+ (accessed October 04, 2020).