Types Of Magnets And Their Uses

Often overlooked and underappreciated, magnets are an extremely useful part of everyday life. A magnet is any object that generates its own magnetic field, or a magnetically charged area around the object. Permanent magnets, also known as hard magnets, create magnetic fields and react to other magnetic fields. Similarly, some objects that are not technically magnets react to magnetic fields as well, taking on temporary magnetic properties. Such temporary (or soft) magnetic objects, like nails, paper clips, and anything containing iron, are called ferrous objects.

Permanent magnets, like the ones you use on your refrigerator door, produce a continuous and unbroken magnetism. Without interruption, they will remain attached to the refrigerator on their own. The only way to break the hold is to break it yourself purposefully. For this reason, this type of magnet is used in a variety of household products that you probably use every day. Permanent magnets are found in cars, computer disk drives, jewelry fasteners, speakers, and even credit cards work by means of permanent magnets.

The ability of ferrous objects to take on magnetic qualities can be just as useful as permanent magnets themselves. Temporary magnets are only magnetic when they encounter an already present magnetic field. Once removed from the field, the magnetic properties disappear and the object will no longer act as a magnet if paired with another ferrous object. The use of hard and soft magnets together gives one the ability to control the magnetism if necessary. Telephones make effective use of temporary magnetic properties. The convenience of temporary magnetic properties is also often used in handiwork situations. For instance, if you drop a screw down into a dark, tight space, you may use a magnet to retrieve it quickly and easily.

Electromagnets are a subcategory of temporary magnets. Electromagnets use an adjustable electrical current, which travels through wire coils to produce magnetic fields of varying degrees. This type of magnet relies on electricity to produce any kind of magnetic properties. By simply presenting or removing the source of electricity as well as changing the strength of the electricity presented, the user can control the magnetic properties in order to fulfill specific purposes and needs. For example, electromagnets are used in different types of motors, industrial heavy lifting/separating machinery, and MRI machines.


Magnets are a larger part of life than most people may realize. Both temporary and permanent magnets are used to create functional commodities and handy daily conveniences. Without magnets of all types, many of the simple things people take for granted would not work as they do today, if at all. Magnets of all types and strengths are available for purchase, so you can experiment on your own with their different properties and uses.