What is Magnetism?

[keithisco]

"Magnetism refers to physical phenomena arising from the force between magnets, objects that produce fields that attract or repel other objects.

All materials experience magnetism, some more strongly than others. Permanent magnets, made from materials such as iron, experience the strongest effects, known as ferromagnetism. This is the only form of magnetism strong enough to be felt by people.

Then there's paramagnetism, in which certain materials are attracted by a magnetic field, and diamagnetism, in which materials are repelled by a magnetic field. Other, more complex, forms include antiferromagnetism, in which the magnetic properties of atoms or molecules align next to each other; and spin glass behavior, which involve both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions."

This is one of the least understood forces. Yes we can make magnets, in that we (people) are very good at utilising Magnetism, what we do not understand is the actual source of this power. A permanent magnet is just that... it will sit on your fridge long after we have shuffled off of this Mortal Coil (Shakespeare) with no appreciable loss of adhesion.

You can rotate a magnet through any plane from the normal with no loss of energetic attraction. The only thing that can affect it is Heat, or another Magnetic Field.

Read More (courtesy of LiveScience) :http://www.livescien...ml?cmpid=529609

Edited July 10, 2013 by keithisco

[Imaginarynumber1]

Ummm... we do understand the source or magnetism. It's even in the article that you linked.

The motion of electrically charged particles gives rise to magnetism. The magnetic force acting on a single electric charge depends on the size of the charge, its speed, and the strengths of the electric and magnetic fields.

[sepulchrave]

what we do not understand is the actual source of this power. A permanent magnet is just that... it will sit on your fridge long after we have shuffled off of this Mortal Coil (Shakespeare) with no appreciable loss of adhesion.

You and I have discussed this before, keithisco.

Constant force does not imply constant energy transfer.

Edited July 10, 2013 by sepulchrave

[keithisco]

You and I have discussed this before, keithisco.

Constant force does not imply constant energy transfer.

Yes we have Sepulchrave, and I have posted this as a new item from Live Science. I think we left our own discourse at the point where rotating the Magnetic field through various planes (that should weaken the force as it is acting against gravitational attraction) in fact does not weaken the force whereby the implication is that there is more to magnetism that is yet to be understood.

Just looking for some new insights here

Edited July 10, 2013 by keithisco

[sepulchrave]

I think we left our own discourse at the point where rotating the Magnetic field through various planes (that should weaken the force as it is acting against gravitational attraction) in fact does not weaken the force whereby the implication is that there is more to magnetism that is yet to be understood.

Can you explain that statement further?

The link you posted doesn't mention it, and indeed has nothing other than a standard layman's description of magnetic interactions.