back to search results

Magnetism

1977 , Norwich (Norfolk)

Cat no. 6734

An amateur educational film explains the principles of magnetism

A discordant blast of piano heralds the start of the film, over abstract colours. The piano settles down into a rather overbearing rhythm, and the title appears, followed by quick-cut shots of different types of magnets attracting various metal objects. The rather young-sounding narrator then begins an introducing to the principle of magnetism, which starts off simply but then becomes rather complicated to non-physicists. Over static close-up shots (which form the majority of the film), a hand demonstrates the use of an induction motor, showing how magnets can rotate without touching. We then see depictions of lines of magnetic force, using the old iron filings on a piece of paper trick. Numerous rules and laws of electromagnetism are explained in turn, using the same static camera shots, one-coloured backdrops and hand-made and operated diagrams. Some of the concepts explained are solenoids, ferromagnetism, paramagnetism, diamagnetism and Quincke's Method. We see a wider shot of an experiment, filmed in a lab, to show the change of ferromagnetic material to paramagnetic, known as the Curie Point Experiment. Once the experiment has been completed, the piano music fades back in, and we see panning shots of the old Mathematics and Physics building at UEA, and then one of the window to a student's bedroom in the ziggurat. A student, presumably one of the filmmakers, then proceeds to write the film credits onto his window using white paint. The final shot is of a window looking out towards another ziggurat with 'The End' in the top left corner, before a curtain is literally drawn across the scene.

Featured Buildings

Mathematics and Physics building, UEA; 'ziggurat' UEA

Keywords

Magnetism; Physics; University of East Anglia

Background Information

In physics and materials science, the Curie temperature (Tc), or Curie point, is the temperature at which a ferromagnetic or a ferrimagnetic material becomes paramagnetic on heating; the effect is reversible. A magnet will lose its magnetism if heated above the Curie temperature. The term is also used in piezoelectric materials to refer to the temperature at which spontaneous polarization is lost on heating. An analogous temperature, the Néel temperature, is defined for antiferromagnetic materials. The Curie temperature is named after Pierre Curie. Below the Curie temperature neighboring magnetic spins are aligned parallel within in ferromagnetic materials and anti-parallel in ferrimagnetic materials. As the temperature is increased towards the Curie point, the alignment (magnetization) within each domain decreases. Above the Curie temperature, the material is paramagnetic so that magnetic moments are in a completely disordered state. [wikipedia]

  • Producer : Paul Roberts and Peter Banks

  • Sound : Peter Banks

Manifestations

Magnetism

  • Barcode
    INV387455
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:17:54
    Modification Date
    23/10/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    732466
  • Barcode
    INV388650
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:17:54
    Modification Date
    23/10/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    732461
  • Barcode
    INV391461
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:17:54
    Modification Date
    23/10/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    732460
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV376514
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    DV digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:17:11
    Modification Date
    10/05/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    710285
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV392623
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    master digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:17:12
    Modification Date
    15/04/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    706326
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV427551
    Canonical Identifier
    1999/50
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Details
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Colour System
    KodachromeII
    Colour Type
    colour
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:19:26
    Has Image
    Y
    Has Sound
    Y
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    pos
    Modification Date
    24/11/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    697859
    Sound
    sound
    Sound System
    mag stripe

Copyright restrictions apply.

Please see our terms of use. Films on this website are provided for personal viewing. Should you wish to use the films in any other way please contact eafa@uea.ac.uk

terms of use
The data for this page was generated on 11/05/2024 07:31:22+00:00. Click to regenerate this page .