The Many Uses of Electromagnets
Simply put, electromagnets create a magnetic field when an electrical charge is passed through them. Although magnets were known about for centuries, it was not until the early 1800s that it was discovered that electrical currents also generated magnetic fields. In the 1820s, William Sturgeon became the first scientist to demonstrate the way in which these fields could be put to use and the idea of the electromagnet was born. Since his time, electromagnets have been used in anything from small components to large industrial machines.