Magnet Myths Every time you use a computer, you're using magnets. If your home has a doorbell, it probably uses an electromagnet to drive a noisemaker. Magnets are also vital components in CRT televisions, speakers, microphones, generators, transformers, electric motors, burglar alarms, cassette tapes, compasses and car speedometers. In addition to their practical uses, magnets [...]
Why Magnets Stick If you've read How Electromagnets Work, you know that an electrical current moving through a wire creates a magnetic field. Moving electrical charges are responsible for the magnetic field in permanent magnets as well. But a magnet's field doesn't come from a large current traveling through a wire — it comes from [...]
The Details of Making Magnets To make a permanent magnet, all you have to do is encourage the magnetic domains in a piece of metal to point in the same direction. That's what happens when you rub a needle with a magnet — the exposure to the magnetic field encourages the domains to align. Other [...]
The Basics of Making Magnets Many of today's electronic devices require magnets to function. This reliance on magnets is relatively recent, primarily because most modern devices require magnets that are stronger than the ones found in nature. Lodestone, a form of magnetite, is the strongest naturally occurring magnet. It can attract small objects, like paper [...]
Magnetics for Environmental Applications Magnetics, as related to the environmental field, is a technology used for locating subsurface iron, nickel, cobalt and their alloys which are typically referred to as ferrous materials. The theory of magnetics has been adapted to specialized tools called magnetometers which are capable of measuring ambient magnetic fields emanating from terrestrial [...]
