ART. 141 - Notes on Electricity and Magnetism.—III. On the Behaviour of Iron and Steel under the Operation of Feeble Magnetic Forces

Summary

The question whether or not iron responds proportionally to feeble magnetic forces is of interest not only from a theoretical point of view, but from its bearing upon the actual working of telephonic instruments. Considerable difference of opinion has been expressed concerning it, several of the best authorities inclining to the view that a finite force is required to start the magnetization. Prof. Ewing remarks:—“As regards the hysteresis which occurs when the magnetism of soft iron is changed, my experiments confirm the idea already suggested by other observers, that when the molecular magnets of Weber are rotated they suffer, not first an elastic and then a partially non-elastic deflection as Maxwell has assumed, but a kind of frictional retardation (resembling the friction of solids), which must be overcome by the magnetizing force before deflection begins at all.” In a subsequent passage Prof. Ewing treats the question as still open, remarking that though his curves suggest that the initial value of k (the susceptibility) may be finite, they afford no positive proof that it is not initially zero, or even negative.

My attention was first called to the matter about a year and a half ago in connection with the operation of iron cores in the coils of an induction-balance. Experiment showed that iron responded powerfully to somewhat feeble forces; and I endeavoured to improve the apparatus in the hope of being able thus to examine the subject more thoroughly.