Electricity refers to the movement of electrical charge. Magnetism is a magnet’s capacity to draw magnetic objects. Electricity and magnetism have for many years been considered to be two distinct phenomena by physicists. The misconception was corrected in 1820 when Hans Oersted, a Danish physicist, discovered that current flowing via a conductor generates a magnetic field. Indeed, there exists a unique relationship between magnetism and electricity. None of the two forces can exist in the absence of the other (Kirkland 30). Electric power lines are also erroneously thought to harm the environment. This fear is founded on the thinking that harmful radiations originate from electromagnetic fields. What many do not know is that electromagnetic radiations are not identical to nuclear radiations (Kirkland 30).
Electricity’s interrelationship with magnetism is described by the term electromagnetism. Electromagnetism has been the target of study and research throughout the years. Furthermore, one can hardly think of the world without electricity. Electricity and magnetism have improved human life in many spheres ranging from lighting, cooling and heating houses to running computers and television sets among many other electric appliances used today (Bloomfield 253).
One of the common uses of the electromagnetism is storage and retrieval of information. Since the nineteenth century magnetic fields have been applied to record, store and play back sound. Between 1930s and 1940s scientists and engineers invented magnetic tapes. Sound recordings were made on phonographs. Magnetic tapes were made using flexible substance covered with a thin stratum of magnetic particles. Information is written on and read from the tape using a gadget known as the head. The head is a small electromagnet having a wire coil wound on a small magnet (Kirkland 34).
A microphone changes sound into an electric wave. The movement of electric charge past the head’s coil leads to the formation of magnetic fields on the surface of the tape. The units of current through the head determine the number of particles that are magnetized and the strength of the magnetic field created. The direction of movement of electric charges determines the polarization of the particles on the magnetic. When the tape is played the magnetized tape runs close to the head causing the formation of a small electric current in the head’s coil by electromagnetic induction. The electric signal is sent to a speaker where it is changed to sound. Phonograph recordings are easily erased by strong magnetic fields. They are also relatively noisy and in lesser circulation as compared to compact disks (Kirkland 37).
Computer disks also use the notion of magnetism to store information. Nevertheless, computers store data in a two digit code known as the binary code. The code is written using zeros and or ones, each number constituting a measurement of information called a bit. Such data is known as digital data. Magnetic storage is suitable for storing trails of 1s or zeros. Each unit of data, a bit, is represented by a small magnet. The data preserved on CDs is written as arrangements of large number of magnetized poles. Eight bits constitute a unit of measurement known as byte in computer jargon; the carrying capacity of computer disks is stated in bytes.
Both CDs and magnetic tapes have a magnetic substance coat, but disks normally have an inflexible backbone. The computer disks store more information reliably and cheaply as contrasted to magnetic tapes. Computer disk storage has not always been cheap for instance in the mid twentieth century a 5 Mb disk was priced at $ 50,000. Nevertheless, since disks and computers became economical, computer disks found widespread application (Bloomfield 261).
For years people have debated about better storage medium between analog and digital media. Each of the two has its merits and limitations. The analog storage provides continuous information. It concerns the use of a magnetic tape as a medium for storing information. Sound recorded on magnetic tapes have natural and warm tone. Information recorded from the source without loss; hence, gives the more accurate method of recording and recalling information. Notwithstanding the aforementioned pros, analog recordings are noisy, slower to edit, rewind and fast forward (Bloomfield 253).
Digital media store information in non-continuous form since data is split into binary codes. Digital recordings are much faster to work with. Since they are not linear no time is needed for rewinding or fast forwarding. Furthermore, natural noise is alien to digital media. Digital data is easily edited without getting distorted, is easy to transmit and integrate into multimedia. Though the digital format of information has overtaken the analog, it has several limitations. Digital data comes in many confusing formats and is easily corrupted. The quality of sound may also lack the natural tone found in analog recordings (Bloomfield 253).
Electromagnetism is ubiquitous with modern life with most of the modern-day electrical gadgets applying the principles of electricity and magnetism. In the absence of electromagnets, telecommunication technologies would not be practical. Data processing, distribution and storage have also been possible due to the interdependence between electricity and magnetism.
Bibliography
Bloomfield, Louis. How everything works: Making Physics Out of the Ordinary. New Jersey: Wiley & Sons Inc., 2007. Print.
Kirkland, Kyle. Electricity and Magnetism. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2007. Print.