A magnet is a substance which contains a magnetic field. It can attract ferrous items like bits of iron, cobalt, steel and nickel.
Magnets can be of varying shapes and sizes depending on the usage. The bar magnet is the most common form of magnet which is basically long and rectangular bar of homogeneous cross section which can attracts bits of ferrous objects.
he compass needle is also made of magnet. It can move horizontally where one ends points to the north and the other ends point to the south.
What are the different types of magnets?
There are a variety of different types of magnets which are basically depended on its properties. Some of them are mentioned below.
Permanent Magnets
Permanent magnets are the most general type of the magnets that are used in everyday life. These magnets are called permanent as they retain the degree of magnetism after being magnetized. They are basically made up of ferromagnetic materials where the atoms and the molecules which have magnetic field and they are positioned in such way so as to strengthen each other.
Temporary Magnets
These types of magnets acts as a permanent magnet only when are presented within a very strong magnetic field. But they lose their magnetism as soon as the field is disappeared. The paperclips and iron nails serves as the best examples for this kind of magnets. Temporary magnets are also used in electric motors, telephones and various other things.
Electromagnets
These types of magnets are used in everyday life and they are very common. They are used in computers, telephones and televisions. They are tremendously strong magnets. They are basically produced by putting a metal core which is usually an iron alloy and is kept within a coil of wire which bears an electric current. The electricity thus induces magnetic field. The more the number of coils, the more is the strength. During the flow of the current, the core acts as a magnet. When the current stops, the metal core demagnetizes.
Superconductors
Superconductors are the strongest magnets of all. They do not need any kind of metal core but they are made up of coils of wire which are generated from special types of metal alloys. These metal alloys acts as superconductors when it is cooled down to a very temperature.
What are the applications of magnets?
Magnets have a huge application. They are used as medical therapy in medicine and health. They are also used in televisions, video tapes and computer disks. They are also used as sorters and magnetic sweepers.
Magnets are used in every simple thing that we use every day. They are used in headphones, computer speakers, refrigerator magnets to hold things and as a seal around the door, phone ringers, stereo speakers, microwave tubes, doorbell ringer, battery eliminators, coil used in TV deflection and TV degaussing, the water valve solenoid of the dishwasher and many others.
They are also used industrially and in shops as the business card magnets, transformers and various other things.
