What kind of metals do magnets stick to

Items That Repel Magnets. Facts About Magnets. Types of Magnets. Science Facts About Magnets for Kids. How to Make Objects Move with a Magnet. Demagnetizing a Steel Nail. Can Brass Be Magnetized? Differences Between Magnets.

Why Is an Electromagnet a Temporary Magnet? The Uses of Different Shaped Magnets. These materials are typically used in electronics, for example transformers and magnetic shielding. Electromagnets are made from a coil of copper wire wound around a core made from iron, nickel or cobalt. The coiled wire will generate a magnetic field when an electric current passes through it, however, the magnetic field disappears the moment the current stops. Electromagnets need electricity to work.

Their usefulness lies in the ability to vary the strength of the magnetic field through controlling the electrical current in the wire. Electromagnets are commonly used in electric motors and generators.

They both work on the scientific principle of electromagnetic induction, discovered by scientist Michael Faraday in , which says that a moving electric current will create a magnetic field, and vice versa. In electric motors, the electric current generates a magnetic field which moves the motor.

In generators, an external force such as wind, flowing water or steam rotates a shaft which moves a set of magnets around a coiled wire, thus producing an electric current. Electromagnets are also used to flick the switches in relays, used in telephone exchanges, railway signaling and traffic lights. Junkyard cranes are also fitted with electromagnets which are used to pick up and drop large vehicles with ease.

These electromagnets take the form of a round plate fitted to the end of the crane. A modern train system known as Maglev short for magnetic levitation uses electromagnets to levitate the train above the rail. Begin by having students determine what their magnet can stick to without leaving their seats. Discussion: What did the magnets stick to? Share ideas about what is similar about the items that stick to the magnet.

Give each student or lab group a bag full of common objects. More independent groups of students may work alone while younger students and less independent students should work as groups of two.

Introduce the bags to the students as follows: We will be looking at various objects in today's lab. They might stick to a magnet or they might not. You'll first be composing a hypothesis before testing the magnets. Based on your experience in the past with magnets and the warm up activity, compose two lists of items.

This should be done using a braillewriter for braille students so that this list can be easily accessed while looking at your results later. Students should separate the groups into the two tubs first and then make the lists. Once all of the students or groups have composed their lists, tell students that it is time to complete the experiment and give each student a magnet. It is, in fact, the strongest ferromagnetic metal. That is why the Earth acts as a permanent magnet on its own.

In addition to its net electron spin at the atomic level, its crystalline structure also plays an important role. Without it, iron would not be a magnetic metal. Iron is ferromagnetic in its body-centred cubic bcc alpha-FE structure.

At the same time, it does not show magnetism in face-centred cubic fcc gamma-Fe structure. Beta-Fe structure, for example, displays paramagnetic tendencies. Nickel is another popular magnetic metal with ferromagnetic properties.

Historically, nickel has been used to make coins. Today, nickel finds use in batteries, coatings, kitchen tools, phones, buildings, transport and jewellery. A large portion of nickel is used to manufacture ferronickel for stainless steel. Because of its magnetic properties, nickel is also part of Alnico magnets made of aluminium, nickel, and cobalt.

These magnets are stronger than rare-earth metal magnets but weaker than iron-based magnets. Cobalt is an important ferromagnetic metal. Cobalt can be used to produce soft as well as hard magnets. Soft magnets that use cobalt have advantages over other soft magnets. Cobalt with its alloys is used in hard disks, wind turbines, MRI machines, motors, actuators, and sensors.

Steel also displays ferromagnetic properties as it is derived from iron. Most steels will be attracted to a magnet. If needed, steel can also be used to make permanent magnets. This grade of steel contains Thus, a very high percentage of this steel grade is iron. Hence, the ferromagnetic properties of iron transfer to steel. Some stainless steels are magnetic and some are not. An alloy steel becomes a stainless steel if it has at least Due to the varying chemical compositions, there are different types of stainless steel.

Ferritic and martensitic stainless steels are magnetic due to their iron composition and molecular structure. Austenitic steels , on the other hand, do not display ferromagnetic properties because of a different molecular structure.

This makes the suitable for use in MRI machinery. The structural difference derives from the amount of nickel. It strengthens the oxide layer for better protection against corrosion but also changes the structure of stainless steel.

Along with the above-mentioned metals, compounds of some rare earth elements also have excellent ferromagnetic properties. Gadolinium, samarium, neodymium are all examples of magnetic rare earth metals. Various magnets with different properties can be manufactured using the above metals in combination with iron, nickel and cobalt.