The Effect of Temperature on Magnetism

In summary, the conversation discusses the effect of temperature on magnetism and how heating a magnet causes its molecules to become more disorderly, resulting in a loss of magnetic properties. The relationship between magnetism and temperature is often linear, but in ferromagnetic materials, it can reach a saturation point. This is because the constant that relates the two, chi, can become negative and needs to be found from a hysteresis graph of magnetization vs. magnetic field. Additionally, the conversation delves into the odd behavior of the response of magnetization to magnetic field, which can be explained by the fact that H is not a true magnetic field, but rather a correction term. In summary, the conversation provides an overview of the relationship
  • #1
zac_physics_student
Hey guys, recently I have conducted an experiment investigating the effect of temperature (K) against magnetism (mT). I have found two formulas and understand that they are for both linear and non linear relationships but why does the function change from linear?
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  • #2
zac_physics_student said:
Hey guys, recently I have conducted an experiment investigating the effect of temperature (K) against magnetism (mT).

hi there
welcome to PF :smile:

maybe you should describe this experiment more clearly

for a start, clarify ---
"The Effect of Temperature on Magnetism"

under what conditions ? ----- I am not aware of temperature directly affecting a magnetic field

I am aware that as a magnetised rock, hunk of iron etc temperature is raised to it's curie point
then the magnetic field will be lost/destroyed. it will reform once the material again drops below the curie point

Do you have something else in mind ?Dave
 
  • #3
An important part of the relationship between magnets and temperature is the fact that heating the magnet causes its molecules to become more disorderly. Magnets are dipoles, which means they have an opposite charge, or magnetic direction, at each end. This is a result of most of the magnetic molecules facing the same direction. When we heat our magnets, those polar molecules start moving around. The average direction of the entire magnet’s polarity becomes a little bit messier because those magnetic molecules are no longer facing the same direction.

If magnets are heated to the Curie point, they lose their ability to be magnetic. The dipoles become so disordered that they can’t return to their original state. Curie points are very hot, and you would not be able to get your magnets to reach them without special lab equipment. For iron, the Curie Point is 1417°F.

https://www.education.com/science-fair/article/magnets-temperature/
 
  • #4
zac_physics_student said:
Hey guys, recently I have conducted an experiment investigating the effect of temperature (K) against magnetism (mT). I have found two formulas and understand that they are for both linear and non linear relationships but why does the function change from linear?View attachment 209693
Your question of the linearity is quite interesting. In general, the ## M ## in the material responds to the ## B ## in the material, most often in a linear fashion, but in ferromagnetic materials it can reach a saturation point. For linear materials, and really in general, we can always write ## M=\chi' B ## for some ## \chi' ##, where ## \chi' ## may have some ## B ## dependence for large ## B ##. Since we can also write ## B=\mu_o H+M ## , substituting in ## B=M/\chi' ## gives ## M=\mu_o H \frac{\chi'}{1-\chi' } ##. ## \\ ## In many materials, ## \chi '<< 1 ## so that it is straightforward to write ## M=\chi \, \mu_o H ## where ## \chi=\frac{\chi'}{1-\chi'} ##. ## \\ ## When ## \chi' > 1 ##, as it can be in the case of a ferromagnetic material, ## \chi ## becomes negative, and although we can still write ## M=\chi \, \mu_o H ## for this number ## \chi ##, the number ## \chi ## needs to be found from a hysteresis graph of ## M ## vs. ## H ##. In the case of a permanent magnet, the operating point is in the first or 4th quadrant of the hysteresis curve where ## M ## is opposite the direction of ## H ## and ## \chi ## is negative. Notice the constant ## \chi' ## is actually much better behaved than ## \chi ## in that ## M ## and ## B ## will always point in the same direction for paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials. (Note: For paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials ## \chi'>0 ##. For diamagnetic materials, ## \chi'<0 ## ). ## \\ ## For additional details, see also the following Insights article: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/permanent-magnets-ferromagnetism-magnetic-surface-currents/ (c.g.s. units are used in the article, but the results can be readily converted to M.K.S.). ## \\ ## One additional question you may have is, why the odd behavior for the response of the ## M ## to ## H ##? The answer is ## H ## is not in general a magnetic field. Although it can be partly composed of magnetic fields, in the material the ## H ## from its own poles represents a correction term to the ## B ## from the magnetic surface currents that differs from ## M ## for geometries other than a long cylinder.(And that explains why ## \chi ## is negative in the permanent magnet. This ## H ## in the material from its own magnetic poles (that occur as a result of the magnetization ## M ## ) is simply a correction term to the magnetic field ## B ## which forr a long cylindical geometry has ## B=M ## that arises from the magnetic surface currents from the magnetization ## M ##.) ## \\ ## The magnetic field inside a permanent magnet is ## B=M ## along with the correction term ## \mu_o H ## computed from its own poles which points in the opposite direction. This is one of a couple of reasons why we have the equation ## B=\mu_o H+M ##. In addition to ## H ## from its own poles, ## H ## also consists of contributions from magnetic poles external to the material, as well as from any currents from conductors where it is computed via Biot-Savart's law. ## \\ ## In the case of a sample of material inside a current-carry solenoid, the applied ## B_a=\mu_o H_a ## where ## H_a ## is from the solenoid, but this scenario where this ## H_a ## is treated as the magnetic field ignores the internal ## B=M ## from the magnetic surface currents that result from the magnetization of the material. The applied field is ## B_a=\mu_o H_a ##, and this is what the hysteresis curve ## M ## vs. ## H_a ## uses, but the actual magnetic field in the material is ## B=\mu_o H_a+M ##. (Besides the hysteresis curve of ## M ## vs. ## H_a ##, it could also be useful at times to have a graph of ## M ## vs. ## B ##). ## \\ ## In summary, ## B ## is the actual magnetic field, and ## H ## is actually something of a mathematical construction.
 
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1. How does temperature affect the strength of a magnet?

As temperature increases, the strength of a magnet decreases. This is because heat causes the atoms within a magnet to vibrate more, disrupting the alignment of the magnetic domains and weakening the overall magnetic field.

2. Can a magnet lose its magnetism when exposed to high temperatures?

Yes, a magnet can lose its magnetism when exposed to high temperatures. This process is known as demagnetization and occurs when the thermal energy overcomes the magnetic forces within the material.

3. Is there a specific temperature at which a magnet loses its magnetism?

The specific temperature at which a magnet loses its magnetism, known as the Curie temperature, varies for different materials. For example, iron has a Curie temperature of 768°C, while cobalt has a Curie temperature of 1121°C.

4. Can cooling a magnet reverse the effects of high temperatures?

Yes, cooling a magnet can reverse the effects of high temperatures and restore its magnetism. This process is known as re-magnetization and occurs when the magnetic domains realign as the temperature decreases.

5. How does temperature affect the distance at which a magnet can attract or repel other magnets?

As temperature increases, the distance at which a magnet can attract or repel other magnets decreases. This is because the strength of the magnetic field decreases with higher temperatures, resulting in a weaker force of attraction or repulsion between magnets.

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