An engineer is designing an automated sorting arm at a metal recycling facility. The arm uses an electromagnet to pick up iron and steel scrap from a conveyor belt, transport it over a designated collection bin, and then drop it.
Explain why soft iron is used as the core of this electromagnet instead of hardened steel. Give two distinct reasons in your answer.
30 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 12.1 Magnets and magnetic fields. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.