All Textbook Topics - Magnetism - Magnetism Introduction - Magnetic materials can be magnetised by stroking them with another magnet or by putting it inside an electromagnet

Magnetic materials can be magnetised by stroking them with another magnet or by putting it inside an electromagnet

You can magnetise a piece of magnetic material (such as iron) by stroking it with another magnet or by putting it inside an electromagnet.

The first diagrams here show the stroking method:

  1. you start by putting the magnet on one end of the piece of magnetic material
  2. then stroke it along in one direction
  3. the next text box explains how to increase the level of magnetisation

This next diagram shows the path the magnet must take to do this. If you go back over the magnet in the other direction too close, you will cancel out the magnetisation you have just done:

You can also magnetise a piece of magnetic material by putting it inside an electromagnet like in the diagram below. You must use Direct Current (DC) which is what comes out of a normal battery:

Previous
An unmagnetised magnetic material will always attract to a magnet if one is brought near to it as the domains in the unmagnetised material line up when the magnet is brought near
Next
A magnet can be demagnetised by hitting it or heating it

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