A magnet is an object that attracts other objects made of iron or steel. It has an invisible field that forces objects to react to its properties. This invisible force is called magnetic field, or the area in which a magnet exerts its force on certain objects. The ability to attract objects is called magnetism.

Magnets attract only objects made of magnetic materials such as iron and steel. They do not attract nonmagnetic materials like paper, cloth, glass, wood, and metals like aluminum and copper.

Kinds of Magnets

There are two main kinds of magnets: permanent and temporary. Both kinds are made from a group of metals called ferromagnetic metals. These include iron and nickel.

Permanent Magnets

Permanent magnets retain their magnetism for a long time. Examples of this type include the magnets that keep refrigerator doors closed. Note how these doors remain closed even without being near a strong magnetic field. Permanent magnets can be made into different shapes, although they are often formed into a U or bar shape.

Temporary Magnets

Temporary magnets lose their magnetism once they are no longer in contact within a strong magnetic field. Examples of this type are steel paper clips that have been exposed to permanent magnets. They lose their magnetism when they are no longer within range of the permanent magnets’ strong magnetic field.