| magnetic amplifier |
a tubeless amplifier that employs two sets of windings, a primary set into which input feeds and a secondary set through which flows an alternating current, whose variations are modified by those in the primary winding. |
| magnetic bottle |
a magnetic field used to confine plasma during thermonuclear reactions. |
| magnetic compass |
an instrument that shows direction relative to the earth's magnetic field, usu. by means of a magnetic needle mounted on a pivot. |
| magnetic equator |
an imaginary line circling the earth near the equator, composed of points where a magnetic needle does not dip because the lines of magnetic force parallel the earth's surface. |
| magnetic field |
a region of space in which a magnetic force occurs, esp. as a result of electrical current or the motions of charged particles such as electrons. |
| magnetic flux |
the total number of lines of induction moving through a specific area in a magnetic field. |
| magnetic mine |
a marine mine designed to explode when its magnetic needle responds to the mass of a nearby ship. |
| magnetic moment |
the ratio that expresses the strength of a particular source of magnetic field. [2 definitions] |
| magnetic needle |
a thin magnetized bar of steel situated within an instrument, such as a compass, so that it indicates the direction of the earth's magnetic poles. |
| magnetic north |
the northern direction indicated by a magnetic needle, in line with the earth's magnetic pole but usu. not true north. |
| magnetic pickup |
a phonograph pickup in which vibrations of the stylus are received by a coil in a magnetic field and thus converted to electrical current. |
| magnetic pole |
either of the apparent poles of a permanent magnet, at which the lines of magnetic force seem to converge. [2 definitions] |
| magnetic recording |
the process or product of recording a series of electrical signals onto a magnetizable surface, esp. used for audio, visual, and computer data. |
| magnetic resonance imaging |
a non-invasive medical imaging technology using radio waves and powerful magnetic fields to make the interior of the human body visible in three dimensions and in real time.(abbrev.: MRI) |
| magnetic storm |
a temporary widespread disturbance of the earth's magnetic field, caused by unusual solar activity. |
| magnetic tape |
a plastic tape coated with magnetic iron oxide, used to store recorded material. |
| magnetic wire |
a thin wire made of a ferromagnetic alloy, used to store recorded material. |