Hard & Soft Magnets
Physics: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 6.1.3
Hard and Soft Magnets
Iron and steel are both magnetic materials. Iron is a soft magnet and steel is a hard magnet.
Hard magnets
- Steel is said to be magnetically hard.
- This means that once steel has been magnetised (made into a magnet), it keeps its magnetism after it is removed from the field.
- Permanent magnets are always magnetic, even when they are not near other magnets.
Soft magnets
- Iron is said to be magnetically soft.
- This means that iron can be magnetised (made into a magnet) but it loses its magnetism as soon as it is removed from the field.
Test yourself on Hard & Soft Magnets
Which of these is magnetically soft?
Which of these statements is true?