How do magnets work?

SciencePhysics
Written By Caitlin Olson
 

The short answer

A magnet is an object wherein most or all of its electrons move in the same direction, creating a magnetic field with north and south ends.

The long answer

To understand how magnets work, let's zoom in all the way to the atomic level. Atoms are the smallest unit of matter, and electrons spin around the nucleus of the atom. The spinning of electrons forms a tiny magnetic field. In most materials, the atoms have electrons that spin in different directions from each other, so their collective magnetic force is canceled out.

Image showing an atom with a nucleus and electrons orbiting it

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Dec 2021).

But when the electrons of atoms spin in the same direction, a powerful magnetic force is created. Magnetic materials have a flow of magnetic force going out of the north end and entering in south end. This creates what is known as a magnetic field.

Diagram of the north and south ends of a magnet

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Dec 2021).

When two objects with strong magnetic fields get close to one other, the response will either be attraction or repulsion. If you place a north and a south end of different magnetic objects near each other, they will attract. But north-to-north and south-to-south will cause repulsion.

Not all materials have a strong magnetic field, of course. So when you place a magnetically strong object (e.g. iron) beside a magnetically weaker object (e.g. cloth), there will be no effect.

Now, go forth and admire your refrigerator magnets for their amazing power that they possess!

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Sources

Dragonfly Education. (2014). How do Magnets Work? | Engineering Physics. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRqQQGO7Xe8&ab_channel=MagicMarks.

Ducksters. (2022). Kids science: Magnetism. Ducksters. Retrieved from https://www.ducksters.com/science/magnetism.php

Magnetism. National Geographic Society. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/magnetism

U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - independent statistics and analysis. Magnets and electricity - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2021, December 13). Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/magnets-and-electricity.php

Wilson, T. V., &; Pollette, C. (2022, September 20). How Magnets Work. HowStuffWorks Science. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://science.howstuffworks.com/magnet.htm

 
Caitlin Olson

Caitlin is an amateur nerd who started Today You Should Know because she wanted an excuse to Google all the questions that have popped into my head. What Caitlin lacks in expertise, she makes up for in enthusiasm.

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