Motors:

The motor has a driveshaft which is a rotating shaft which transmits torque in
the motor which is attached to coil. This creates a magnet. An electric motor is
another application of electromagnets. Suppose you put some electromagnets on
a wheel and put some permanent magnets around the wheel. The
electromagnets could be made to attract and repel the surrounding magnets,
causing the wheel to turn. By varying the current, the speed of the motor can be
made to vary.

Look at an electric motor and see the internal wheel made of electromagnets and
the outer shell made of permanent magnetic material.

Electromagnetic lock:

An electromagnetic lock can be used to lock a door by creating a strong field in

an electromagnet that is in contact with a magnetic plate. As long as there is
current through the electromagnet, the door remains closed and locked.
Another type of electromagnetic lock uses an electromagnet to extend a plunger
between the doors, making it nearly impossible to open the door until the
electromagnet releases the plunger.

Tape recorder:
When a Mylar tape covered with fine iron dust passes near a small electromagnet that
has a varying magnetic field, according to an electrical signal, the dust become
magnetized in different directions. The electrical signal could be from a radio or
microphone.
The tape then is a record of the electrical signal. When it passes by another small
electromagnet, it creates an electrical signal, duplicating that of the original signal. This
signal can be amplified and played back through loudspeakers.

Maglev trains
A maglev (magnetic levitation) train works without wheels and is propelled by
electromagnetic forces.
This type of train usually consists of a set of magnets along the bottom of the train and a
series of electromagnets on the tracks or guide-way for the train. The electromagnets
are adjusted to have the same polarity as the train's magnets, though complex computer
controls. Since the magnetic poles repel, the train is levitated or floats slightly above the
track. Guides on the sides prevent the train from sliding off.

Depending on the position of the train, the polarity of the electromagnets is adjusted,
causing the train to move forward. Maglev trains can reach speeds over 260 mile per
hour or 430 kilometers per hour.

Electromagnets have several uses and practical applications. They can be found in
various everyday electronics and are also used for industrial purposes ourselves.
You can say that the electromagnet made much of the modern age possible
harnessing electricity as a practical force in the same way that mankind used
windmills and dams to harness wind and water. Here are some of the ways that
electromagnets are used.
First, there are motors and generators. The discovery of the electromagnet made
possible the invention of electric motors and generators. Both of these work on a
scientific principle called electromagnetic induction. This phenomenon was
discovered by the scientist Michael Faraday. Electromagnetic induction takes
advantage of the fact that a moving electrical current creates a magnetic fields and a
moving magnetic field creates an electrical current. This is essentially how electric
motors and generators work. In any electrical appliance the motor is moved by the
magnetic field produced by the electric current flowing from your socket to the
appliance. A generator uses the opposite principle and an outside force normally
wind, moving water, or steam, rotates a shaft which rotates a set of magnets around
a coiled wire to create an electric current. This is how we get electric power.
Second, there are relays. Electromagnets are used to control the switches in relay.
This is important especially when it comes to things like making a telephone call. The
first telephones made use of a type of relay called a reed switch it not only helped to
connect calls but performed the rudimentary logic and memory functions. This is also
how the first computers functioned.
Third, there are practical industrial uses. Only materials made of iron, nickel, cobalt
or their alloys or naturally occurring minerals respond to a magnetic field. This has
many practical uses. One use is sorting out metals. Since the elements mentioned
are used a lot in manufacturing, using an electromagnet is an efficient way to sort
these metals out. Another use is in lifting of massive objects. You have probably
seen cars in junk yard being lifted by a crane with a round plate at the end in movies
or on television. The round plate at the end of the crane is also an electromagnet.

They are also used in transportation. Trains in Asia and Europe use electromagnets
to levitate the cars. This helps them to move at phenomenal speeds.