Magnetism- It refers to physical phenomena arising from the force caused by magnets, objects

that produce fields that attract or repel other objects.

Magnets - A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is
invisible: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, and attracts or repels
other magnets. Every magnet has two poles, called the north and south poles.

History of Magnets

The word magnet comes from the Greek "magnítis líthos", which means
"Magnesian Stone". Magnesia is an area in Greece (Now Manisa, Turkey)
where deposits of magnetite have been discovered since antiquity.

The Shepherd Magnes

The most popular legend accounting for the discovery of magnets is

that of an elderly Cretan shepherd named Magnes. Legend has it that
Magnes was herding his sheep in an area of Northern Greece called
Magnesia, about 4,000 years ago. Suddenly both, the nails in his shoes
and the metal tip of his staff became firmly stuck to the large, black
rock on which he was standing. To find the source of attraction he dug
up the Earth to find lodestones (load = lead or attract). Lodestones
contain magnetite, a natural magnetic material Fe3O4. This type of rock
was subsequently named magnetite, after either Magnesia or Magnes
himself.

Who invented magnets?

The first magnets were not invented, but rather were found from a naturally
occurring mineral called magnetite. Traditionally, the ancient Greeks were the
discoverers of magnetite. There is a story about a shepherd named Magnes
whose shoe nails stuck to a rock containing magnetite.
The mineral magnetite is an iron oxide that is easily magnetized when it
forms. Magnetite is also known as Lodestone.
lodestone or "leading stone."

Types of Magnets
Permanent magnets are magnets retain their magnetism once magnetized.
Temporary magnets are materials magnets that perform like permanent magnets when in the
presence of a magnetic field, but lose magnetism when not in a magnetic field.
Electromagnets are wound coils of wire that function as magnets when an electrical current is
passed through. By adjusting the strength and direction of the current, the strength of the
magnet is also altered.

Permanent Magnets – Permanent magnets are those magnets, retain a certain level of degree
of magnetism once they get magnetized. These magnets are usually made up of ferromagnetic
material. These are composed of atoms and molecules where each has a magnetic field and are
positioned to reinforce each other. There are different types of permanent magnets that have
different characteristics depending on how easily they can be demagnetized, how their strength
varies with different temperature and how strong they are.
There are four classes of permanent magnets:

 Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB or NIB)

 Samarium Cobalt (SmCo)
 Alnico
 Ceramic or Ferrite

Temporary Magnets – Temporary magnets are those magnets which acts like a permanent
magnet while they are within a strong magnetic field. They lose their magnetism when
magnetic field get disappeared. For Example- paper clips and nails.

Electromagnets – Electromagnet is defined as a tightly wound helical coil of wire which is

usually found with an iron core. It acts like a permanent magnet when current gets flew in the
wire. The strength and polarity of the magnetic field is created by the electromagnet which can
be adjusted by changing the magnitude of the current that is flowing through the wire. Also, by
changing the direction of the current flow.
Diamagnetic material

The materials which are repelled by a magnet such as zinc. mercury, lead, sulfur, copper, silver,
bismuth, wood etc., are known as diamagnetic materials.

Those substances which are feebly magnetized in the direction opposite to the applied field are called
diamagnetic material. Examples of diamagnetic materials are bismuth, copper, water, mercury, alcohol,
argon, gold,tin, mercury, antimony etc. The magnetic moment of atoms of a diamagnetic material is
zero. They acquire induced dipole moments when the material placed in an external magnetic field.
These moments are in opposite in the direction to the applied field.

Some properties

1. The diamagnetic materials are repelled by magnets.

2. When a diamagnetic liquid in a watch glass is placed over two closely spaced pole pieces of the
magnet, it is depressed at the middle while in the case of pole pieces separated by a distance, it
rises at the middle. Similarly, when a diamagnetic liquid is placed in a U-tube and one of the
limbs of the tube is placed between the two strong pole pieces of magnet, the liquid depressed
at that limb.
3. The diamagnetic materials move from a stronger to a weaker field.
4. A diamagnetic rod, freely suspended in a magnetic field, slowly turns to set at right angle to the
applied field.
5. Since magnetized is opposite in direction to an applied field, the diamagnetic materials have the
small value for the intensity of magnetization, I.
6. The materials have always negative magnetic susceptibility, χ=(μr−1)χ=(μr−1) and accounts from
-10-6 to -10-5.
7. These materials are independent of temperature.

Paramagnetic Material

The materials which are not strongly attracted to a magnet are known as paramagnetic
material. For example: aluminium, tin magnesium etc. Their relative permeability is small but
positive.

Those materials which are weekly magnetized in the same direction of the applied magnetic field are
called paramagnetic material. The examples of paramagnetic materials are aluminum, chromium,
oxygen, manganese, alkali, alkaline earth metal etc.

The paramagnetic materials have permanent magnetic moments. These moments interacts weekly with
each other and randomly orient in the different direction.

Some Properties

1. The paramagnetic materials are feebly attracted by magnets.

2. A paramagnetic rod, freely suspended in a magnetic field, aligns along the field.
3. The paramagnetic materials are temperature dependent and follow curve law.
4. The relative permeability is nearly unity than ranges from 1.00001 to 1.003 for common
ferromagnetic materials at room temperature. So, the magnetic lines of force inside the
material placed in a magnetic field are more than that outside it.
5. The susceptibility of paramagnetic substances has small positive value.

Ferromagnetic Material

The materials which are strongly attracted by a magnetic field or magnet is known as
ferromagnetic material for eg: iron, steel , nickel, cobalt etc.

The ferromagnetic materials are highly magnetized in a magnetic field. The examples of ferromagnetic
materials are iron, nickel and cobalt, and their alloys such as alnico. Gadolinium and dysprosium are
ferromagnetic at low temperature.

Some Properties

1. Ferromagnetic materials are highly attracted by magnets.

2. Ferromagnetic materials more from weaker to stronger field.
3. A ferromagnetic rod, freely suspended in a magnetic field, turns fast to set along the applied
field.
4. The magnetic susceptibility is positive and very high and varies with applied field.
5. The relative permeability is very high in the order of 1000 to 100,000.
6. Ferromagnetic dust in a watch glass, placed over two closely spaced pole-pieces of the magnet,
increases at the middle, while pole piece is separated by a distance, depresses in the middle.