the properties and interaction of magnets are referred to as
Biology · Middle School · Mon Jan 18 2021
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The properties and interaction of magnets are referred to as magnetism. Magnetism is a force of attraction or repulsion that acts at a distance. It is due to a magnetic field, which is caused by moving electric charges, electric currents, and the intrinsic magnetic moments of elementary particles associated with a fundamental quantum property, their spin. There are several key properties of magnets, which are:
1. Pole - Every magnet has at least two poles, a north and a south pole. Opposite poles (north and south) attract each other, while like poles (north and north or south and south) repel each other.
2. Magnetic Field - The area around a magnet within which magnetic force is exerted is called a magnetic field. It is represented by field lines that start at a magnet’s north pole and end at its south pole.
3. Attraction and Repulsion - Magnets can attract ferromagnetic materials like iron, nickel, and cobalt. They also exhibit attraction or repulsion with other magnets depending on the polarity of their poles.
4. Permanent and Temporary Magnets - Permanent magnets exert a magnetic force continuously, while temporary magnets do so only under certain conditions, like being in the presence of a magnetic field or an electric current.
5. Magnetic Induction - When a magnetic material is placed within a magnetic field, it can become magnetized itself due to the alignment of its magnetic domains.
6. Magnetization and Demagnetization - Magnets can be made or strengthened by placing them in a strong magnetic field, aligning their domains, and can be weakened or demagnetized by processes like heating or hammering, that randomize the arrangement of the magnetic domains.