>
Core · Practice questions · Electromagnetic induction

A current from a moving magnet.

Six original Cambridge-style questions on electromagnetic induction: describing the experiment, the factors that change the e.m.f., the still-magnet trap, reversing the current, and a real dynamo.

Original questions All questions on this page are original work, written in the Cambridge IGCSE style. They are not from past papers. They test the same concepts and skills the syllabus rewards.
What the examiner wants

Change the field, and say what grows it.

01
Recall
[2 marks]

State what is meant by electromagnetic induction, and what must happen for an e.m.f. to be induced in a coil.

  • Electromagnetic induction is the production of an e.m.f. by a changing magnetic field. ✓
  • The magnetic field through the coil must be changing (for example a magnet moving in or out). ✓
02
Experiment
[3 marks]

Describe a simple experiment to show that moving a magnet near a coil produces an e.m.f.

  • Connect a coil to a sensitive (centre-zero) meter. ✓
  • Move a bar magnet into the coil: the meter deflects, showing a current. ✓
  • The deflection lasts only while the magnet is moving. ✓
03
Application
[3 marks]

A magnet is moved into a coil and a small deflection is seen. State three changes that would give a larger deflection.

  • Move the magnet faster. ✓
  • Use a coil with more turns. ✓
  • Use a stronger magnet. ✓
04
Analysis
[2 marks]

A magnet is pushed into a coil and then held still inside it. Describe what the meter reads while the magnet is held still, and explain why.

  • The meter reads zero. ✓
  • The field through the coil is no longer changing, so no e.m.f. is induced. ✓
05
Analysis
[2 marks]

When a magnet is pushed into a coil the meter needle deflects to the right. State what happens to the needle when the magnet is then pulled out, and why.

  • The needle deflects to the left (the opposite way). ✓
  • The field is now changing in the opposite direction, so the induced current reverses. ✓
06
Application
[3 marks]

A bicycle dynamo lights a lamp only while the bike is moving. Explain, in terms of induction, why the lamp goes out when the bike stops, and why it gets brighter as the bike goes faster.

  • The dynamo spins a magnet near a coil, so the field through the coil keeps changing and induces an e.m.f. ✓
  • When the bike stops, nothing moves, the field stops changing, so no e.m.f. is induced and the lamp goes out. ✓
  • Going faster changes the field more quickly, giving a bigger e.m.f. and a brighter lamp. ✓

Mark this once you have attempted all six and checked your working. It records a Practiced badge on the topic and adds a one-time bonus. Revealing the solutions alone does not count.