magnetic core

A magnetic core is a piece of magnetic material with a high permeability used to confine and guide magnetic fields in electrical and electromechanical devices such as electromagnets, transformers, electric motors, and inductors. It is made of ferromagnetic metal such as iron, or ferrimagnetic compounds such as ferrites. The high permeability, relative to the surrounding air, causes the magnetic field lines to be concentrated in the core material. The magnetic field is often created by a coil of wire around the core that carries a current. The presence of the core can increase the magnetic field of a coil by a factor of several thousand over what it would be without the core.