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Magnetization question

Student 5051 9 years ago updated by Physics Tutorial Center Staff 9 years ago 1

I am confused about what is actually happening inside some type of magnetic material. Therefore, I don't really understand what magnetization really is. So:


1. What is happening in magnets that make them magnets?

2. What is magnetization?

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Magnetic fields are created from moving charges, or currents. In atoms, electrons typically "orbit" the nucleus and thus produce a current and magnetic field. We call this a magnetic dipole because it has North and South poles. Dipoles like to attract and align with each other, and this is why two bar magnets, for example, will try to align their poles North to South.


Magnetization refers to the sum of all the dipoles (per volume). A strong magnet has a high magnetization because it has many dipoles all aligned.

Answer
Closed

Magnetic fields are created from moving charges, or currents. In atoms, electrons typically "orbit" the nucleus and thus produce a current and magnetic field. We call this a magnetic dipole because it has North and South poles. Dipoles like to attract and align with each other, and this is why two bar magnets, for example, will try to align their poles North to South.


Magnetization refers to the sum of all the dipoles (per volume). A strong magnet has a high magnetization because it has many dipoles all aligned.