A bar magnet is a rectangular object made of iron or steel that has a magnetic field. Each end is called a pole, one is north and the other is south. They are used to pick up small ferromagnetic objects and have been used for years to demonstrate magnetic fields.
A bar magnet is a rectangular object that has a magnetic field. It is usually made of iron or steel, but can also be made of any ferromagnetic substance or a ferromagnetic composite. This type of magnet is almost always permanent, meaning it will hold its magnetic field for a significant amount of time without the use of a supplied electric current.
Each end of a bar magnet is called a pole: one is north and the other is south. When suspended freely, the magnet will align itself so that the tip of its north pole points toward Earth’s magnetic north pole. It works in exactly the same way as a compass needle, which in turn uses or is a magnet. If the magnet has one end painted red, that end is traditionally the north pole.
Bar magnets are usually made from ferromagnetic materials, elements which can naturally have a magnetic field. They include cobalt, iron and nickel. Some magnets are made from composite materials that combine ferromagnetic materials with other substances such as aluminum, clay or resin.
Magnets have uses based on their magnetic attraction. This attraction draws other ferromagnetic materials towards the magnet or the magnet towards them. It can be used to pick up small ferromagnetic objects such as screws and metal shavings, as a “magnetic stirring rod” on a laboratory hotplate, and to hold papers and other items to the sides of refrigerators, among many other tasks.
Like other magnets, the magnetic field generated by a bar magnet can damage electronic equipment. If placed near a hard drive, computer disc, or even a videotape, it can damage the data stored by the magnetic particles on the item. Magnets placed on the sides of speakers or other audio devices can cause sound interruptions or even permanent damage. One placed on the side of a computer can cause the system to become disabled and even render it completely unusable.
Bar magnets have been used for years to demonstrate magnetic fields and magnetic lines of force. One demonstration involves pouring metal shavings (sometimes called filings) onto a piece of paper suspended above a magnet. Over time, the filings will line up in arcs going outward from the north and south poles of the magnet. Another demonstration is to attempt to touch the north poles of two different weak magnets together to show how the poles repel each other. Cutting a bar magnet in half will produce two magnets, each with a north and south pole, although excessive force or the heat from cutting can demagnetize the bar.
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