Magnetism in technology

Magnetism in technology has evolved over time. It is very present in many areas of our daily lives, being of vital importance for the present and future development of multiple sectors.

Since ancient times, magnetic compasses have been used for navigation. And today magnetism is present in a wide variety of modern technologies, from electric motors to data storage devices.

The history of magnetism in technology begins with the invention of the magnetic compass in China in the 9th century. The compass is based on the property of magnetic needles to align themselves with the Earth's magnetic field. And it was used for centuries for navigation on the high seas. During the Middle Ages, European seafarers adopted the compass and used it to explore new routes and discover new territories.

In the 19th century, magnetism began to be used in the creation of electric motors. In 1821, the first electric motor was invented by British scientist Michael Faraday, who discovered that passing an electric current through a conducting wire near a magnet produced motion. This led to the development of the first electric motors, which used the force of magnetism to create motion.

Advancing technology along with magnetism

As technology advanced, magnetism in technology became an increasingly important part of electronics. In the 1890s, French physicist Henri Becquerel discovered the phenomenon of radioactivity, which involved the emission of electrically charged particles. This led to the development of vacuum tube technology, which used magnetic fields to control the flow of electrons.

In the 1930s, the German scientist Werner Heisenberg discovered the uncertainty principle, which implied that the position and momentum of a subatomic particle could not be known precisely at the same time. Consequently, this led to the development of hard disk technology, which used magnetic fields to store data.

Today, magnetism in technology continues to be a fundamental part. On the one hand, electric motors are used in a wide variety of applications, from appliances to automobiles and aircraft.

On the other hand, data storage technology remains an active field of research. It also continues to employ new techniques that use magnetic fields to store and access data more efficiently.