If the answer is they are made of non-magnetic materials,I would like to know if the ships and aeroplanes are made of magnetic materials what will be the impact of the North & South poles on them?Will it be negligible?
2006-12-28 18:44:06 · 5 answers · asked by karikalan 7 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
When a steel ship is constructed it develops a magnetic field of its own which is enough to mess with the compasses on board. That in itself would suggest the earth's field is pretty weak and unlikely to affect the path of a ship.
To counteract this local magnetism large ships are demagnetized by placing them inside giant coils which carry an alternating current. This is done partly to make the compasses work better but also to make the ship less likely to trip a magnetic mine.
2006-12-28 20:15:02 · answer #1 · answered by rethinker 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Earth is a weak magnet. The magnetic force attracting the ships downward is lesser than the bouyant force forcing it up. Similarly the aerodynamic forces pushing an aeroplane up are much stronger than the magnetic pull down.
However, this is not to say that there is no impact of North and South poles on the ship and the aeroplane. The wings of the plane as they cut the magnetic flux develop emf between the two extremes due to faraday's law. And for the ships...they have been navigating for so many years with a magnetic compass.
2006-12-28 19:00:53 · answer #2 · answered by ashutosh115 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The earth is indeed a magnet, as a few minutes playing with a compass will show you. And ships, made out of steel, are attracted by the field. But the field is very weak, as you will also see by playing with a compass -- the needle must be on a nearly frictionless bearing to respond to the earth's field, so the effect on a ship is completely negligible. The magnetic field in a typical electric motor is 10,000 times as strong as the earth's field.
2006-12-28 18:50:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The magnetic field around the earth, while large, is weak. Think how easily you can turn the needle on a compass. The engine, or sails, or even oars on a boat can easily overpower the magnetic forces.
2006-12-28 18:52:58 · answer #4 · answered by DavidNH 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They counteract the pull of the earth's magnetic field with their big honking engines.
2006-12-28 19:05:41 · answer #5 · answered by Neebler 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋