What is the difference between a magnet and an electromagnet?
Let's assume there is a small container you can't see inside. There is a magnetic field around this container that can attract iron. Then, can you figure out whether the thing inside this container is a magnet or an electromagnet?
The answer is, "It's hard to find out." You might be able to figure it out with expensive, high-tech equipment, but it's hard to find out with simple tools.
Why is that?
That is because the principles of magnets and electromagnets are the same.
Let's first look at electromagnets.
When current flows through a coil, a magnetic field is generated around the coil, which exhibits properties similar to those of (permanent) magnets.
So, what principle does a magnet used to create a magnetic field?
A magnet creates a magnetic field by moving electrons, such as electron spin, at the atomic level.
Magnets and electromagnets have the same principle: the movement of electric charges generates a magnetic field.