What produces magnetic flux?

Magnetic flux is produced by magnetomotive force, which is the driving force that creates a magnetic field in a circuit or coil. When there is a magnetomotive force applied to a conductor or magnetic circuit, it causes magnetic lines of force, or flux, to form within that circuit. The strength of the magnetic flux is directly related to the amount of magnetomotive force applied.

Magnetomotive force can be thought of as the electrical equivalent of voltage in a circuit; however, it specifically relates to magnetism. It can be generated by coils of wire carrying an electric current, where the current generates a magnetic field according to Ampere's Law. This law states that the magnetic force around a conductor is directly proportional to the current flowing through it, establishing a clear connection between current and magnetomotive force.

In contrast, voltage itself represents electric potential and does not directly create magnetic flux without the presence of current. Resistance refers to the opposition to the flow of electric current and does not produce magnetic flux, while electric current, when flowing through a wire, does lead to magnetomotive force but is not the force itself that produces magnetic flux. Therefore, magnetomotive force is the most accurate term for the source of magnetic flux