What are magnets?

Not practical about magnets

There are many technical terms about magnets and magnetic fields. Here we will try to make the technical aspects a little more understandable for those who do not work with magnets on a daily basis, and we have chosen to highlight the things that we are most often asked about.

So completely impractical, then a magnet is an object with a magnetic field. The magnetic field is invisible. Some stones also have a natural magnetic field, but that's a completely different story.

An electromagnet uses electricity to generate a magnetic field, while a permanent magnet generates its own magnetic field. 

The world's strongest magnets

The strongest known magnetic material on earth is neodymium. Neodymium (with the chemical symbol Nd) is a rare earth that is mined in Canada and China. Other magnetic metals are iron, nickel and cobalt, which are also used to make permanent magnets. In Europe, we are only allowed to trade with China, cf. special trade agreements regarding magnets.

Magnetization of iron and steel

It is possible to magnetize a piece of iron or steel, which is not already magnetic, by swiping a permanent magnet in the same direction several times, so that magnetic poles are formed on the iron/steel. Technically, what happens is that the poles in the iron/steel align and form a magnetic field with north at one end and south at the other.

Demagnetization

Conversely, a magnet can also be demagnetized by hard blows, as the poles become disordered. This is often what has happened when you have a knife rail that is no longer as magnetic as when you bought/made it, because the magnets have been hit a lot. But there is a reason for that, because the poles can be aligned again as described above. 

Unit of measurement for magnets

The most commonly used unit of measurement for the magnetic field is the Tesla, which is the international unit of measurement (SI system), and the Gauss. We have indicated the measurement units Tesla and Gauss under the specifications on the product cards.

What is Gauss?

Gauss depends on the magnetism (N values) - not the carrying capacity. And often you are told a Gaussian spectrum to stay within instead of strength measured in kg.

Here are some examples of Gauss for some of the most common N values:

• N35 = 11700-12100 Gauss
• N38 = 12200-12600 Gauss
• N42 = 12900-13200 Gauss
• N45 = 13200- 13700 Gauss
• N48 = 13700-14200 Gauss
• N50 = 14000-14600 Gauss