7/31/2016

3WaystoDeterminetheStrengthofMagnetswikiHow

HowtoDeterminetheStrengthofMagnets
ThreeMethods:

DeterminingFactorsthatAffectMagneticFieldStrength

TestingMagneticFieldRangewithPaperclips

TestingMagneticFieldStrengthWithaGaussmeter

Magnetsarecommonlyfoundinmotors,dynamos,refrigerators,creditanddebitcards,andelectronicequipment,suchas
electricguitarpickups,stereospeakers,andcomputerharddrives.Theycanbeeitherpermanentmagnets,madeofnaturally
magneticformsofironoralloys,orelectromagnets.Electromagnetscreateamagneticfieldwhenanelectriccurrentisrun
throughacoilofwirewrappedaroundanironcore.Thereareseveralfactorsaffectingthestrengthofmagneticfieldsand
severalwaysofdeterminingthestrengthofthosefields,botharedescribedinthearticlebelow.

Method

DeterminingFactorsthatAffectMagneticFieldStrength
Consideramagnet'scharacteristics.Magneticpropertiesaredescribedusingthesecharacteristics:
Coercivemagneticfieldstrength,abbreviatedHc.Thisrepresentsthepointatwhichthemagnetcanbe
demagnetized(degaussed)byanothermagneticfield.Thehigherthisnumber,themoredifficultitistodegauss
themagnet.
Residualmagneticfluxdensity,abbreviatedBr.Thisisthemaximummagneticfluxthemagnetcanproduce.
Relatedtomagneticfluxdensityisoverallenergydensity,abbreviatedBmax.Thehigherthisnumberis,the
morepowerfulthemagnet.
Thetemperaturecoefficientoftheresidualmagneticfluxdensity,abbreviatedTcoefofBrandexpressedasa
percentageofdegreesCelsius,describeshowthemagneticfluxdecreasesasthemagnet'stemperaturerises.
ATcoefofBrof0.1meansthatifthemagnet'stemperaturerises100degreesCelsius(180degrees
Fahrenheit),itsmagneticfluxdecreasesby10percent.
Themaximumoperatingtemperature(abbreviatedTmax)isthehighesttemperaturethemagnetcanbe
operatedatwithoutlosinganyofitsfieldstrength.OncethetemperaturefallsbelowTmax,themagnet

http://www.wikihow.com/DeterminetheStrengthofMagnets

1/7

7/31/2016

3WaystoDeterminetheStrengthofMagnetswikiHow

recoversitsfullfieldstrength.IfthemagnetisheatedaboveTmax,itwilllosesomeofitsfieldstrength
permanentlyaftercoolingtoitsnormaloperatingtemperature.If,however,themagnetisheatedtoitsCurie
temperature,abbreviatedTcurie,itwillbecomedemagnetized.[1]

Notethematerialapermanentmagnetismadefrom.Permanentmagnetsaretypicallymadefromoneofthe
followingmaterials:
Neodymiumironboron.Thishasthehighestmagneticfluxdensity(12,800gauss),coercivemagneticfield
strength(12,300oersted),andoverallenergydensity(40).Ithasthelowestmaximumoperatingtemperature
andCurietemperature,at150degreesCelsius(302degreesFahrenheit)and310degreesCelsius(590
degreesFahrenheit),respectively,andatemperaturecoefficientof0.12.
Samariumcobalthasthenexthighestcoercivefieldstrength,at9,200oersted.Butithasamagneticflux
densityof10,500gaussandanoverallenergydensityof26.Itsmaximumoperatingtemperatureismuch
higherthanforneodymiumironboronat300degreesCelsius(572degreesFahrenheit),asisitsCurie
temperatureof750degreesCelsius(1,382degreesFahrenheit).Itstemperaturecoefficientis0.04.
Alnicoisanaluminumnickelcobaltalloy.Ithasamagneticfluxdensityclosetothatofneodymiumironboron
(12,500gauss),butamuchlowercoercivemagneticfieldstrength(640oersted)andconsequentlyanoverall
energydensityofonly5.5.Ithasahighermaximumoperatingtemperaturethansamariumcobalt,at540
degreesCelsius(1,004degreesFahrenheit),aswellasahigherCurietemperature,860degreesCelsius
(1,580degreesFahrenheit),andatemperaturecoefficientof0.02.
Ceramicandferritemagnetshavemuchlowerfluxdensitiesandoverallenergydensitiesthantheother
materials,at3,900gaussand3.5.Theirmagneticfluxdensity,however,ismuchbetterthanalnicoat3,200
oersted.Theirmaximumoperatingtemperatureisthesameasforsamariumcobalt,buttheirCurietemperature
ismuchlower,at460degreesCelsius(860degreesFahrenheit),andtheirtemperaturecoefficientis0.2.
Therefore,theylosefieldstrengthfasterinheatthandoanyoftheothermaterials.

Countthenumberofturnsinanelectromagnet'scoil.Themorecoilturnsperlengthofthecore,thegreater
themagneticfieldstrength.Commercialelectromagnetshavesizablecoresofoneofthemagneticmaterials
describedaboveandlargecoilsaroundthem.However,asimpleelectromagnetcanbemadebywrappingacoilof
wirearoundanailandattachingitsendstoa1.5voltbattery.[2]

http://www.wikihow.com/DeterminetheStrengthofMagnets

2/7

7/31/2016

3WaystoDeterminetheStrengthofMagnetswikiHow

Checktheamountofcurrentflowingthroughtheelectromagneticcoil.Useamultimetertodothis.The
strongerthecurrent,thestrongerthemagneticfieldgenerated.
Ampereturnpermeterisanothermetricunitformeasuringmagneticfieldstrength.Thisrepresentshowifthe
current,thenumberofcoils,orbothareincreased,themagneticfieldstrengthincreases.

Method

TestingMagneticFieldRangewithPaperclips
Makeaholderforabarmagnet.Youcanmakeasimplemagnetholderusingaclothespinandapaperor
Styrofoamcup.Thismethodwouldbesuitableforteachingelementaryschoolagestudentsaboutmagneticfields.
Tapeoneofthelongendsofaclothespintothebottomofthecup.
Placethecupwiththeattachedclothespinonthetableupsidedown.
Insertthemagnetintotheclothespin.

Bendapaperclipintoahook.Theeasiestwaytodothisistopullouttheouterendofthepaperclip.Youwill
needtobeabletohangmorepaperclipsfromthehook.

Addfurtherpaperclipstomeasurethestrengthofthemagnet.Touchthebentpapercliptothemagnetatone
ofitspoles.Thehookportionshouldhangfree.Hangpaperclipsfromthehook.Keepdoingthisuntiltheweightof
theclipscausesthehooktofall.

Notethenumberofpaperclipsthatcausedthehooktofalloff.Whenyouhaveaddedasufficientnumberof
paperclipsandthehookfallsoffthemagnet,carefullywritedowntheexactnumberofpaperclipsthatcausedthis
tohappen.

5
6

Addmaskingtapetothemagnetpole.Put3smallstripsofmaskingtapeoverthemagnet'spoleandhangthe
hookfromitagain.

http://www.wikihow.com/DeterminetheStrengthofMagnets

3/7

7/31/2016

3WaystoDeterminetheStrengthofMagnetswikiHow

Addpaperclipstothehookuntilitfallsoffthemagnet.Repeatthepreviousmethodofhangingpaperclips
fromtheoriginalpapercliphook,untiliteventuallyfallsoffthemagnet.

Writedownhowmanyclipsittooktomakethehookfallthistime.Makesureyounoteboththenumberof
maskingtapestripsandthenumberofpaperclipsused.

Repeatthepreviousstepsseveraltimeswithmorestripsofmaskingtape.Eachtime,notethenumberof
paperclipsittooktomakethehookfalloffthemagnet.Youshouldnoticethatasyouaddedstrips,ittookfewer
andfewerclipstomakethehookfalloff.

Method

TestingMagneticFieldStrengthWithaGaussmeter

Calculatethebaselineororiginalvoltage.Thiscanbedoneusingagaussmeter,alsoknownasa
magnetometeroranEMFdetector(electromagneticfielddetector),whichisahandhelddevicethatmeasuresthe
strengthanddirectionofamagneticfieldstrength.Theyarereadilyavailabletobuyandsimpletouse.The
gaussmetermethodissuitableforteachingmiddleschoolandhighschoolstudentsaboutmagneticfields.Here'show
tostartusingone:
Setthemaximumvoltagetobereadat10voltsDC.
Readthevoltagedisplaywiththemeterawayfromamagnet.Thisisthebaselineororiginalvoltage,
representedasV0.

Touchthemeter'ssensortooneofthemagnet'spoles.Onsomegaussmeters,thissensor,calledaHall
sensor,isbuiltintoanintegratedcircuitchip,soyouactuallytouchthemagnet'spoletoasensor.[3]

Recordthenewvoltage.RepresentedbyV1,thevoltagewilleithergoupordown,dependingonwhichpoleof
themagnetistouchingtheHallsensor.Ifthevoltagegoesup,thesensoristouchingthemagnet'ssouthseeking
pole.Ifthevoltagegoesdown,thesensoristouchingthemagnet'snorthseekingpole.

http://www.wikihow.com/DeterminetheStrengthofMagnets

4/7

7/31/2016

3WaystoDeterminetheStrengthofMagnetswikiHow

Findthedifferencebetweentheoriginalandthenewvoltage.Ifthesensoriscalibratedinmillivolts,divideby
1,000toconvertfrommillivoltstovolts.

Dividetheresultbythesensitivityvalueofthesensor.Forexample,ifthesensorhasasensitivityof5
millivoltspergauss,youwoulddivideby5.Ifithasasensitivityof10millivoltspergauss,youwoulddivideby10.
Thevalueyoureceiveisthefieldstrengthofthemagnetingauss.

Repeattotestthefieldstrengthatvaryingdistancesfromthemagnet.Placethesensorataseriesof
defineddistancesfromthemagnet'spoleandrecordtheresults.

Canyouanswerthesereaders'questions?

Refresh

OnHowtoOpenaRestaurant,areaderasks:
Howmuchspaceandmoneyisneededtoopenanewrestaurant?
Youranswer...

Reply

OnHowtoContestaLifeInsuranceBeneficiary,areaderasks:
Ifmysolicitornotifiedmyfather'slifeinsurancecompanythathewantedmetohave
hiscapital,cantheyignoreitandpaysomeoneelsethatwasnamedasbeneficiary?
Youranswer...

Reply

OnHowtoIdentifyaMaleMidlifeCrisis(ForWomen),areaderasks:
Duringamidlifecrisisforamanisitalsopossibleforthemtoquestiontheir
sexuality?
http://www.wikihow.com/DeterminetheStrengthofMagnets

5/7

7/31/2016

3WaystoDeterminetheStrengthofMagnetswikiHow

Youranswer...

Reply

Tips
Fromeitherofthepoles,magneticfieldstrengthdropsoffbythesquareofthedistancefromthemagneticpole.Therefore,
ifthedistanceisdoubled,thestrengthdropsbyafactorof4.Fromthemagnet'scenter,however,themagneticfield
strengthdropsoffbythecubeofthedistance.Forexample,ifthedistanceisdoubled,themagneticfieldstrengthdropsby
afactorof8.

Warnings
DroppingorhittingamagnetwithitspoleseitheralignedinoppositiontoEarth'smagneticpoles(itsnorthseekingpole
pointedsouthanditssouthseekingpolepointednorth)oratrightanglestoEarth'smagneticpolescandemagnetizeit.A
steelnailcanbemagnetized,however,whenstruckwhilealignedwithEarth'smagneticpoles.

ThingsYou'llNeed
Barmagnet
Clothespin
PaperorStyrofoamcup(12to16ounce/0.5litersize)
Paperclips
Maskingtape,cutintosmallstrips
Gaussmeterormultimeter

http://www.wikihow.com/DeterminetheStrengthofMagnets

6/7

7/31/2016

3WaystoDeterminetheStrengthofMagnetswikiHow

SourcesandCitations
1.http://www.britannica.com/science/Curiepoint
2.http://www.sciencebuddies.org/sciencefairprojects/project_ideas/Elec_p035.shtml#procedure
3.http://www.electronicstutorials.ws/electromagnetism/halleffect.html

http://www.wikihow.com/DeterminetheStrengthofMagnets

7/7