Categories: Edu Info & Careers

Rare Earth Magnets – Common and Unusual Application

May 9, 2016

Permanent rare earth magnets are made from ferromagnetic group of metals like iron, cobalt, and nickel. These metals possess special property to get uniformly magnetized. A rare earth element like lodestone is blended with ferromagnetic materials to produce rare earth magnet.

US rare earth magnets are unspoken heroes of Modern Era. Everyone just knows that magnet attract nickel and iron and repel objects. Besides this, the uses of magnet are extensive. It is a vital part of everyday life.

Common applications of magnets in daily life

Magnets are applied in –

  • Generators and electrical motors to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy & vice versa
  • Speakers to convert electrical into sound energy
  • Electrical bells
  • Maglev trains floats on super conductive magnetic tracks working on the magnets repulsion force
  • Separators to extract and eliminate ferromagnetic materials form solid or liquid mixtures
  • Computer monitors, TV screens, tape recorders and telephones
  • Separating metallic caps
  • Cranes or magnetic lifters
  • Refrigerator doors
  • Magnetic compass used to find geo-location
  • Electric motors of car that drive windows up and down, rear view mirror, engine and many other vehicle parts
  • Small ear phones
  • Alternators
  • Generators
  • Water conditioning (to lower water hardness)
  • Wind turbines

Unusual or clever use of magnets

Tinkering with magnets

  • Glue them on shoe soles and stroll on ferromagnetic wall or ceiling
  • When you are bored, give fits to workmate in the next cubicle messing with their computer monitor
  • Use in your magnetraction toy project to hold rails better
  • Hold beer serving trays to ceiling
  • Magnetic tricks
  • Remove punch press parts safely
  • Mute the violin by placing small disc magnets on both side of bridge
  • Hold down car cover
  • Pull metallic dents
  • Find steel pennies
  • Hold outhouse door shut
  • Jewelry clasps
  • Hang Christmas lights
  • For slot car traction
  • Hanging tapestries in warehouse
  • Mount CB radio under dashboard
  • Attach to a vacuum cleaner
  • Hold lathe tools to lathe
  • Build a chaotic pendulum
  • Demo of diamagnetic levitation
  • Picking nails in driveways
  • When ship-lifting magnets hold lines and tape securely on steel hulls
  • Pick keys from the bottom of a swimming pool
  • Treasure hunting
  • Hang wet clothes to the van with magnets for drying, while camping
  • Attach light fixture in a van
  • Car top ad signs
  • Door latches in a tree house
  • Hold license plates
  • For welding hold sheet metal together
  • Dampening for seismograph
  • Meteorite cane
  • Hanging tools in garage to keep the place organized
  • To lock metal doors of wash tanks rather than those sticky bolt locks (in darkroom)
  • Pain therapy
  • Erasing tapes
  • Cleanup parking lot
  • Better mouse trap

Shapes of magnets

Obviously, the belief that big magnets are strong is right, but today even small magnets are made stronger using different materials. Basically, the magnet’s shape influences its use. It determines the external magnetic field lines and strength of its attraction.

Common magnet shapes

  • Bar magnet
  • Horse shoe magnet
  • Disc magnet
  • Sphere magnet
  • Cylinder magnets
  • Ring magnets

All these magnets are used at home, classroom, hospitals, and science lab. You can use your imagination and play with these wonder magnets.

(Visited 120 times, 1 visits today)

Leave a Reply