Can Magnetic Fields Be Focused?

[[darkside]]

Is it possible to focus a magnetic field?

Thank you

 

[Khashishi]

you mean, like a laser?

 

[[darkside]]

Well, not necessary like a laser (that would be good too) but more like to focus it to go where I want it to go. Like when using a lens and focusing Sun rays.

 

[DrZoidberg]

Yes you can. For example with a cone shaped piece of iron. Place the magnet on the wide end of the cone and you get a concentrated field at the tip. Another method is shown in this video using 2 flat pieces of iron. (actually an iron alloy maybe similar to the stuff used in transformers)


It's all about magnetic flux and magnetic circuits.
This article may help you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_circuit

 

[Khashishi]

Light is just an electromagnetic wave, so if focus light, you are focusing a magnetic field. If you are interested in a magnetic field without the electric field, you can focus it next your device, as Dr. Zoidberg shows, but you can't direct a magnetic field to be strongest far away from your sources of current.

 

[[darkside]]

Light is just an electromagnetic wave, so if focus light, you are focusing a magnetic field.

Did I understand you correctly, I can use magnifying glass and focus magnetic waves the same way I would use it to focus light in one point?

 

[davenn]

Did I understand you correctly, I can use magnifying glass and focus magnetic waves the same way I would use it to focus light in one point?

no you cant. Khashishi is leading you astray somewhat

you originally asked about a magnetic field and for some reason Khashishi started on about a laser which had nothing to do with what you asked

I liked K^2 response in this forum a couple of years ago to a similar question to yours

Magnetic field lines arrange themselves in a way that satisfies two criteria.

1) Lines shall not cross. (Maxwell's Eqns)
2) Integral over H*B is minimized. (Minimum energy)

There is also a condition on curl (vorticity) which will govern how many field lines you have.

What this tells you is that field lines will bunch up only within certain objects. Magnets for example. In empty space, the field lines will try to spread out as much as possible to minimize energy.

Without placing something at the target, or very near it, you cannot make field lines converge there.

full thread...
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=394402


cheers
Dave