Gold metal detectors – what you need to know
Want to try your luck finding gold in an unclaimed land? All you need is a metal detector. Metal detectors work on the principle of electromagnetism. Every metal (in solid state) has its own electric and magnetic field. Metal detectors have 2 circuits; one circuit, which is connected to a small battery which powers it up. This circuit is called as transmitter circuit. It sends electricity down the shaft to the coil at the bottom. The coil gets magnetized (changes its magnetic field) when this magnetized coil is swept on the ground and if there is a metal object near its sweep area, the magnetic field of the coil charges the metal object. The magnetic field of the metal detector changes the magnetic and hence the electric field of the metal object. This change in electromagnetism of the metal object is picked up by the receiver circuit of the metal detector. Due to the change in the magnetism of the coil of the metal detector, the electricity flows up the shaft of the detector to the receiver circuit. This change in the electromagnetism registered on receiver circuit confirms a metal detected by the coil. Gold is not something that you can find in your backyard.