Transformers

Soft iron is used for making transformer cores. In these cores the material goes through complete cycles of magnetisation continuously. The material must therefore have a low hysteresis loss to have less dissipation of energy and hence a small heating of the material (otherwise the insulation of the windings may break), a high permeability (to obtain a large flux density at low field) and a high specific resistance (to reduce eddy current loses). These requirements are fulfilled by soft iron. Hence, compared to steel, iron and alnico soft iron is preferred for use as core of a transformer.

Transformer consists of two coils one primary and the other secondary. Transformer is a device based on the principle of mutual induction, which is used for converting large alternating current at low voltage into small current at high voltage and vice-versa. The transformer which converts low voltages into higher ones are called step-up transformers, while those which convert high voltages into lower ones are called step-down transformers. Transformers are used only in not .