Red Seal Electrician Practice
Magnetism and electromagnetismQuestion 173 of 1506

Why does a soft iron core placed in a coil make a stronger electromagnet?

  1. The coil's field lines up the iron domains
  2. The iron feeds extra current into the winding
  3. The iron lowers the resistance of the copper wire
  4. The iron keeps flux lines from forming at all
Show answer

Correct answer: The coil's field lines up the iron domains

The field of the coil lines up the domains in the soft iron. The core becomes a magnet and adds to the coil field.

Source: Electrical Fundamentals Competency (Industry Training Authority of BC), 3.2: Electricity and Magnetism

Practice magnetism and electromagnetism

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026