Spark image

The Loudspeaker

The current from the amplifier is fed to the voice coil which is wound round a paper former fixed to the speaker cone. This former fits over the core of a tubular magnet. The current in the coil makes it a magnet and so it is affected by the field of the speaker magnet. The force on the coil makes it move at right angles to the magnetic field – that is in and out of the paper in the first diagram. Since the signal is a.c. the force on the coil is changing and so it moves backwards and forwards, this in turn makes the speaker cone vibrate giving you the sound.



schoolphysics: Electric current animation

To see an animation of a loudspeaker in an electric current click on the animation link.

 

A VERSION IN WORD IS AVAILABLE ON THE SCHOOLPHYSICS USB
 
 
 
© Keith Gibbs 2020