Question:
The question that we aim to answer through our investigation is “Does the temperature of a magnet affect it’s strength.”
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Typical magnetic field shown through the use of iron fillings which align with the magnetic field of the magnet.
Background Information:
In physics we usually refer to magnets, and materials that are attracted to magnets, as magnetic. Technically, these materials are called ferromagnetic. The most common ferromagnetic metals are iron, nickel, and cobalt. These elements are unique because at the microscopic level, they contain many magnetic domains. Each magnetic domain acts itself as a tiny magnet with a north and south pole.
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However, when the material is placed in a strong magnetic field, the material can become magnetized, and all of these tiny magnetic fields line up, creating an overall larger magnetic field. A magnet can be weaker than other magnets of the same size if not all of the tiny magnetic fields line up. Some materials create stronger magnetic field than other magnetic materials do, due to the structure of the the material making it difficult for any of the tiny magnetic fields to change direction and ensures they stay in a straight line. Now, what would happen if you heated up the magnet or cooled it down?. Temperature can be defined as a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object. The particles in an object move a little less when it is cold, and a little more when the object is warm. Because heating up the object increases the random motion within the metal, would it also affect the alignment of magnetic