15 Awesome Facts About Magnets That Will Surprise You

Magnets are ubiquitous in our lives. An estimated 80% of Americans own at least one magnet each year, whether as part of a refrigerator, on a locker or just hanging around on the fridge door. They’re also present in every home, office and vehicle. Their uses range from simple things such as writing something quick to inspirational quotes to functional things like displaying family photos or making your home more organized with grocery lists. As you can see, these small but powerful magnets play many roles in everyday life!

Moreover, there are more facts about magnets which have helped us in many things in life. Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about magnets which definitely will broaden your knowledge. From the unique science behind magnets, to magnets trivia, you will find them all in the lists below. Let’s jump to the list!

1. Magnets Always Have Two Poles

Magnets always have two poles, regardless of how they are sliced. There are no magnetic monopoles. Magnetic north and south are the two poles that magnets will always have. Regardless of how many times you cut it, the outcome will remain the same.

A bar magnet’s behavior when its north- and south-directed magnetic fields are concentrated. A magnet’s magnetic pole is the area where the magnetic field is strongest outside of the magnet. A bar magnet hung in the magnetic field of the Earth automatically points northward and southward.

2. The Most Powerful Magnets In Universe

A star known as a magnetar is actually the most potent magnet in the universe. These are extinct stars that underwent supernova explosions. What’s left are the magnetars, which, if they approach closely enough, are powerful enough to annihilate small planets. In fact, only 10 of these peculiar artifacts have really been found.

 It dwarfs the Earth, whose magnetic field only measures 0.00005 tesla, with a magnetic field intensity of 100 billion tesla. Fortunately, scientists estimate that there are only a dozen of these, and they are located a very long way from Earth.

3. Earth Is A Bar Of Magnet

The Earth resembles a giant bar magnet. The needle on a compass points to its magnetic north and south, which exist. Geographically speaking, this is distinct from the true north and south poles. The magnetic poles are connected by invisible magnetic field lines.

Electric currents in the Earth’s liquid outer core, which is made up of conductive, molten iron, are primarily responsible for producing the magnetic field. Magnetic fields are produced by current loops in the liquid iron, which is constantly moving. From a distance, the Earth seems to be a large magnet with typical north and south poles for magnets.

4. Animals Life Affected By Magnets

Animal magnetism is the term used to describe how some animals are impacted by magnets. All living things, including people, animals, and vegetables, possessed animal magnetism, commonly referred to as mesmerism. The term was given in the 18th century by German physician Franz Mesmer.

Bee migratory cycles, bee communication patterns, and a variety of other animal behaviors have all been investigated using magnets. The results included a variety of bizarre behaviors. Furthermore, magnets provide a navigational aid for birds and turtles, while certain sharks are repulsed by magnets. In addition, lobsters are magnetically sensitive and rely on the earth’s magnetic lines to guide them.

5. Iodstone, The First Magnet Used For Navigation

Did you realize that navigation has always involved the use of magnets? Given the abundance of highly developed compasses, modern artificial magnets might not be all that old. However, it is believed that the Chinese used lodestone, a naturally occurring magnet, as far back as is known. In fact, lodestones are thought to have served as a navigational aid for early seafarers.

Chinese scientists may have realized as early as 2000 years ago that rubbing an iron bar with lodestone would magnetize the needle, causing it to point north and south. Before being employed by explorers to navigate uncharted waters, a magnetic compass, which determines direction, may have initially been utilized for fortune-telling in China. The compass was first employed for navigation around 1050.

6. Not All Metals Are Magnetic

Metal is a necessary component of all magnetic materials, however not all metals are magnetic. Any metal that contains iron will be drawn to a magnet because iron is magnetic. A steel paperclip will also be drawn to a magnet since steel contains iron. Magnets only attract certain types of metals including nickel, steel, iron and cobalt. The majority of metals, including gold, platinum, magnesium, aluminum, silver, and copper, are not magnetic. Other things like plastic, paper, and wood are not magnetic either.

However, some metals can be transformed into magnets by powerful rare earth magnets. Iron and other ferromagnetic materials can be magnetized using a powerful permanent magnet. By rubbing a magnet on a screwdriver, you may verify it for yourself. It will be possible to pick up magnetic things with the screwdriver.

7. The Invisible Magnetic Field

A magnetic field is the invisible region surrounding a magnetic object that has the power to attract or repel other magnetic objects. It resembles the intangible “force fields” that surround an object powered by intangible energy in science fiction movies and books. Just outside the bar magnet, the magnetic field is strongest between the two poles and weakest in the center. Moreover, the magnetic field lines are least dense between the two poles and most dense in the center.

By scattering iron chips across a piece of paper with a magnet underneath, magnetic fields can be made visible to the human eye. You may observe the same types of magnetic fields on the Sun, our nearest star.                        

8. Magnetic Paint, The Simple Way To Stick Magnet

If you think that magnets always form in a piece or bar, then they actually can be formed as a paint! Magnetic paint is made to attract sheet magnets and rare earth magnets. The type of magnets used to create magnetic business cards and magnetic signs for car doors are called sheet magnets. They stick strongly because they also contain millions of small, magnetic metal particles.

The only difference between conventional paint and magnetic paint or primer is the addition of minute iron dust particles. It produces a coating of dark primer with several microscopic iron flecks dispersed throughout when painted on a surface. These iron fragments are attracted by magnets.

9. World’s Most Powerful Superconducting Magnet

The most powerful superconducting magnet ever made by scientists can produce magnetic fields with a record-breaking intensity of 45.5 tesla. Higher intensities have only been attained with pulsed magnets, which maintain fields for brief periods of time. Additionally, it was superior to “hybrid” superconducting-resistive magnets and regular superconductor magnets.

In order to produce magnetic fields with little energy usage, David Larbalestier, a materials scientist, and his colleagues at the US National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida, routed strong electric currents through coils built of cuprate superconductors. The resulting field strength was greater than that of resistive magnets utilized in modern magnet labs, which are energy-hungry and do not utilize superconductors. 

10. Horseshoe Makes Stronger Magnet Than Other Shapes

You may have pondered at some time in your life why a magnet is frequently shown as a horseshoe. Well, it has something to do with how it is used as well as the magnet’s strength, which is frequently referred to as the direct pull. At the magnet’s poles are concentrated its strongest elements. Because of this, a horseshoe shape is thought to be the strongest and is particularly handy to produce if you need to carry heavy goods or strengthen a bar magnet. 

It is created by horseshoe-shaping a standard bar magnet. Because the magnet’s poles are in the same plane and closer to one another, the magnetic lines of flux can flow more directly between the poles and concentrate the magnetic field, making a horseshoe magnet stronger.

11. Magnet Takes Hundreds Of Years To Wear

In fact, permanent magnets’ magnetic fields are not very stable. Electrons within the atoms that make up permanent magnets are arranged in pairs within magnetic domains. Damage to this alignment usually brought on by heat and electromagnetic sources weakens magnetism. Samarium-cobalt magnets undergo a very gradual, 700-year-long loss of roughly half their strength.

The magnetic characteristics of an alloy ought to last for hundreds of years in the absence of outside effects. The alloy should continue to be a good generator of magnetic fields even if aging generally causes a minor reduction in magnetic field. Meanwhile, the majority of magnets in use are exposed to a variety of external demagnetizing factors. A partially demagnetized magnet in the field may significantly affect performance, resulting in failure.

12. Magnet Can Break Compass

The compass needle is a ferromagnetic material. Coercivity is the measure of a ferromagnetic material’s capacity to “withstand an external magnetic field without getting demagnetized.” The compass needle is subjected to a magnetic field created by another magnet nearby. Whether or not the magnetic properties of the compass needle are harmed depends on the strength of the magnetic field applied to it and the coercivity of the needle material.

If this occurs, you will need to use a powerful magnet to remagnetize the compass. Lay the compass upright on a stable, flat surface. Place the magnet’s south pole directly atop the needle. Slowly move the magnet along the needle’s length in the direction of the north-marked end. Slide the magnet along the side of the compass until you reach the edge.

13. Neodymium Has The Highest Magnet Properties

Strong permanent magnets formed of an alloy of neodymium, iron, and boron are known as neodymium magnets. They are the strongest permanent magnets and are a member of the rare-earth magnet family. The periodic table contains rare earth elements, which are used to make rare earth magnets.

The compound has a very high coercivity, or resistance to demagnetization, due to the crystal lattice’s resistance to changing its direction of magnetism. Because it contains four unpaired electrons in its electron structure as compared to on average three in iron, the neodymium atom is able to have a significant magnetic dipole moment.

14. You Can Recharge Weak Magnet

A magnet is as powerful as it can possibly be when it is first created because it has the largest concentration of electrons pointing in this direction. If you discover that your magnet is weak, it was probably made decades ago. It follows that they have lost some electrons within.

But you can actually restore the electricity in a straightforward manner. A magnet that has lost some of its initial charge can occasionally be recharged. Rub your weak magnet repeatedly with a really strong magnet if you can. The magnetic domains inside the weak magnet will realign due to the strength of the magnet.

15. Temperature Affect Magnet Strength

Temperature has an impact on magnetism by enhancing or decreasing the attracting force of a magnet. When a magnet is exposed to heat, its magnetic field is reduced because the magnet’s internal particles are moving quicker and more erratically. The magnetic domains are confused and out of alignment as a result of this jumbling, which lowers the magnetism. Meanwhile, the magnetic characteristics of a magnet will be strengthened and enhanced by cooling it or subjecting it to low temperatures.

The ease with which a magnet can be demagnetized varies with temperature in addition to how strong a magnet it is. Demagnetization resistance often drops as temperature rises, much like magnet strength does. Ceramic magnets are the lone exception; they demagnetize more readily at low temperatures and less readily at high temperatures.

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