Perhaps when things fall down to the ground after being dropped it is because of the force of gravity, or perhaps all things bear a magnetic charge and are pulled back to the ground by earth magnets. Granted, gravity is the more likely answer. Few people are inclined to question good science that has been proven through the centuries. But new mysteries await uncovering, such as questions of what earth magnets are, and beckon us with fascinating answers.
Many applications have utilized Earth Magnets since the 1970s. Refrigerator magnets possess a magnetic field that is anemic compared to earth magnets, but an earth magnet's charged elements are so brittle that they are prone to flaking and are relatively useless unless their composition is strengthened with plating.
Also popularly known with the misleading moniker Rare Earth Magnets, the elements that comprise earth magnets are common: Samarium-cobalt and Neodymium are roughly as commonly occurring as lead or copper. These popular tools are quite useful and highly in demand; mining to keep a good stock of these magnets plays a significant role in the economy of many countries.
Apart from being popular novelty items, Nd and Sm-Co - or Samarium-cobalt and Neodymium - are utilized in such varied tools as bullet trains, computer hard drives, most cordless tools, cycling dynamos, and speakers and headphones. Sm-Co and Nd have for the most part replaced magnets of ferrite and alnico, which before the 1970s were the sole known magnetic elements. Apart from their use for display, these older magnets are now the rarer variety.
Computers have steadily been taking up less space, and the progress in reducing the physical dimensions of a computer's hard drives is predominately because of earth magnets. Progress in solid state hard drives means that magnets are less prominent in computer building, replacing spinning hard drives which depend on magnets, but magnets are still vital parts of numerous other fields.
Bullet trains are propelled using Nd magnets in a technological marvel known as Maglev, which is the swiftest moving land-based method of transportation used commercially. The tracks are quite efficient in their energy usage, making use of magnetic levitation. Although these trains are known for requiring a great deal of maintenance, they are welcomed as a staple of travel wherever they are in use thanks to their twin benefits of affordability and speed. Japan is the birthplace of these trains and the home of their greatest popularity. Such a train can attain speeds of greater than 300 mph, thanks to the assistance of magnets.
Just as transportation relies on magnets, so does entertainment by means of speakers. Sm-Co is in current use for the creation of the mechanisms that play sounds through speakers. The apparently endless applications of earth magnets also provide for long lasting cordless tools and new products currently under development that will continue to improve our lives.
It might not be known to most people but technological devices in today’s age are powered by magnets. Quite a number of magnets are used in generators and computers. They are called earth magnets. The basic principles like other alloy magnets or regular iron apply in that they possess magnetic fields in the north and south poles. These work like regular magnets attracting unlike poles and repelling like poles. The strength of attraction is what sets apart earth magnets from its counterparts.
They are constructed from ferromagnetic metals or metals that can be permanently magnetized. This creates a very powerful magnetic pull. The downside is that they are brittle and can be shattered if thrown or dropped. The strength of the magnet is very strong. In certain cases, you hear of children swallowing these small magnets resulting in injury or death due to the magnets pinching a digestive tract organ. Larger earth magnets have been known to crush fingers if placed in-between them. Injury can be avoided if used carefully.
Developed in the late 1900s, earth magnets are utilized for wide range of tasks. One of the most common types available are neodymium magnets which are now more affordable and readily available to the public instead of only being restricted to the scientific community. These are very small magnets and the magnetic field range does not reach very far but it is powerful enough if you set two attracting magnets together which can cause breakage.
These magnets are frequently utilized in devices that run on electromagnetism, either partially or fully. This is the concept of magnetic force powering electricity. One of the examples of a common device that uses earth magnets today is the computer. The hard drive is powered by a magnet although it is well known that exposure to magnets will render a hard drive useless. Neodymium magnets are used in other things such as self-powered flashlights, cordless tools, refrigerator magnets and metal detectors just to name a few. For some people, they believe that magnets due to its pull possess healing properties. This however, has not been scientifically proven. In magnetic therapy, small earth magnets are used as a purifying method for water conditioning.
Currently, earth magnets are considered a stronger alternative as compared to other magnet types. Keep them away from small children. Avoid utilizing them in close proximity of a computer or any electronic device of the same nature as this might cause permanent damage. Information on debit or credit cards can be erased and as such, do not keep magnets in pockets or purses. By being aware and careful, mishaps can be avoided and you will find that these small magnets pose little danger as satisfaction can be attested by the large number of people that use them.
