Maybe it was first talked about more than 2,500 years ago. Maybe not. Who was the first to understand the awesome power of magnetism?

A Sad, Sad World Without Magnets

You don’t usually see them or know that they’re working, but magnets power almost everything you use in your regular life. These essential tools are pretty simple at their core. They are objects that attract certain metals, including nickel, iron, and cobalt, and they have at least one north and south pole. In fact, magnetism is considered one of the four fundamental forces in nature, along with strong and weak atomic forces and gravity. Magnets are incredibly important.

This is a common question with an easy answer. The difference between ferrous and nonferrous materials is that ferrous metals contain iron and nonferrous metals do not. An important and interesting followup question is how the difference between these two types of metals changes the way they are used and what they can be used for.

A quick look at magnetization patterns

Magnets can be oriented in two ways. The magnetization pattern affects the potential application of a magnet, so it’s useful to know a little bit about how magnetization patterns work.

Special Magnet Coatings Are Sometimes Used...

Magnets are typically used in a raw form, uncoated. But in some cases, depending on the intended use and the elemental makeup of the magnet, specialized coatings are required.

How Does Temperature Affect Different Magnets?

The relationship between magnetic strength and ambient temperature is somewhat complicated. If you are in need of a magnet, however, it is important for you to understand how temperatures affect the strength of different types of magnets before choosing a product. This will allow you to choose the magnet that offers the best value and performance for your situation.