Basics About Magnets
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BasicsAbout Magnets What is a Magnet? A magnet is an object made of certain materials which create a magnetic field. Every magnet has at least one north pole and one south pole. By convention, we say that the magnetic field lines leave the north end of a magnet and enter the south end of a magnet. This is an example of a magnetic dipole ("di" means two, thus two poles). If you take a bar magnet and break it into two pieces, each piece will again have a north pole and a south pole. If you take one of those pieces and break it into two, each of the smaller pieces will have a north pole and a south pole. No matter how small the pieces of the magnet become, each piece will have a north pole and a south pole. It has not been shown to be possible to end up with a single north pole or a single south pole which would be a monopole ("mono" means one or single, thus one pole). History of Magnetism Magnets and why they work remains one of life’s mysteries. People were fascinated by magnetic properties as early as 600 B.C. The name “magnet” was first used by the Greeks for describing a mysterious stone that attracted iron and other pieces of the same stone. One account says that the name was fashioned after the shepherd, Magnes, who, according to Greek legend, discovered the stone by accident while tending his flock. The iron tip of his staff was attracted by a mysterious force to a large rock. There was such a powerful attraction that it took intense efforts for the boy to separate the staff from the stone. Another, more believable account says that the word “magnet” came from a city in Asia Minor, called Magnesia, (today called Manisa, in modern day Turkey) near to where many magnetic stones were found. During the Middle Ages, this naturally occurring rock became known as lodestone, which is the magnetic form of magnetite. The mariner’s compass was probably the first important magnetic device. It is thought to have come to Europe from China around the 12th century. It was discovered that a magnet, when allowed free movement, always pointed in the same north/south direction. This discovery was extremely important to mariners who, until then, had trouble navigating when skies were clouded and they could not see the sun or stars for guidance. iSO(IRCE= magnetsource.com Your Best Source in the Magnetic Field!

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Magnets are Everywhere Magnets appear in many different sizes, materials, and shapes. There are rings, discs, blocks, rectangles, arcs, rods and bars. Other, more unique shapes are made by combining magnets and steel bars into magnetic assemblies. Even though horseshoe magnets are still available, they are not used for applications as often as these other, more popular shapes. Currently there are five types of magnet material: Alnico (aluminum, The Magnet Source Master Magnetics, Inc. manufactures and distributes magnetic products for industrial and commercial use, serving customers across...