Question

What happens to the magnetic field around an electromagnet when you reverse the current flowing through the wire?


the electromagnet gets stronger


the magnetic poles reverse


nothing happens

Answer 1

When you reverse the current flowing through the wire of an electromagnet, the magnetic poles of the electromagnet reverse. This means that if the north pole was previously at one end of the electromagnet, it will become the south pole after the current is reversed, and vice versa. The strength of the electromagnet does not necessarily change—what changes is the orientation of the magnetic field. Therefore, the correct answer is:

**the magnetic poles reverse.**