electromagnet

noun

elec·tro·mag·net | \ i-ˌlek-trō-ˈmag-nət

Definition of electromagnet

: a core of magnetic material (such as iron) surrounded by a coil of wire through which an electric current is passed to magnetize the core

Examples of electromagnet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Real recycling plants have moving conveyor belts and powerful electromagnets that can be turned on and off. — Ben Finio, Scientific American, "Build a Recycling-Sorting Machine," 12 Mar. 2020 Using a powerful electromagnet, the instrument is designed to deflect electrically charged high-energy cosmic rays into an array of sensitive detectors. — William Harwood, CBS News, "Spacewalkers fix unexpected leak during final work to repair $2 billion cosmic ray detector," 25 Jan. 2020 When one of the magnets (either the electromagnet or the permanent magnet) is attached to a thin membrane the rapidly changing magnetic field makes the membrane vibrate. — Ben Finio, Scientific American, "Build Your Own Speaker," 5 Dec. 2019 In his motor, Tesla got exactly the right sequence by switching the current on and off in the individual electromagnets in the stator, thus creating a rotating magnetic field. — National Geographic, "Edison and Tesla's cutthroat 'Current War' ushered in the electric age," 27 Sep. 2019 Particle accelerators rely on electromagnets to create electric fields. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Are Trying To Shrink Particle Accelerators," 21 Oct. 2019 Made from a solid piece of steel, this element is different mice because the wheel is controlled by electromagnets installed inside. — Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, "Review: Logitech Master Series offers high-tech update to classic combo," 19 Sep. 2019 Her shelves hold a Ghostbustery electromagnet-field reader, a perfectly round stone supposedly containing the spirit of an ancient sprite and a pair of wooden sculptures, one of Bigfoot, one of an upright canine. — Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, "Do you have a werewolf problem? Upright alligator? Cryptozoologist Linda Godfrey probably believes you," 24 July 2019 The satellite part that met its fiery maker was a 4-by-10 centimeter section of magnetotorquer, a reliable electromagnet inside satellites. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Hey, Want to Watch This Satellite Melt?," 21 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'electromagnet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.