Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Permanent magnets are objects that produce their own persistent magnetic fields without the need for any external source of magnetism.
Related terms
Electromagnets: These magnets are created by passing electric current through a coil of wire and can be turned on or off depending on whether electricity is flowing through them or not.
Magnetic Domains: These small regions within a material consist of aligned atomic or molecular magnets that contribute to its overall magnetization.
Curie Temperature: This is the temperature at which certain materials lose their permanent magnetism due to thermal energy disrupting the alignment of their atomic or molecular magnets.