A ferromagnetic material turns into a paramagnetic one when it gets too hot to keep its special alignment anymore.
Imagine you have a group of kids who all want to stand in the same direction, like they're playing a game where everyone has to face north. That's like a ferromagnetic material: the tiny bits inside it (called magnetons) all line up nicely, making it strongly magnetic.
Now imagine someone turns on a fan and blows really hard, the kids start wobbling and can't stay in the same direction anymore. That’s what happens when you heat up a ferromagnetic material: the magnetons get too jiggly to keep their alignment, and it becomes paramagnetic.
What's the difference?
- In ferromagnetic materials, the magnetons stay lined up even without a magnet nearby, like kids who really want to win the game.
- In paramagnetic materials, the magnetons only line up when there’s a magnet around, like kids who only face north if they have to.
When you cool it down again, the kids (or magnetons) get calm and line up once more, back to being ferromagnetic!
Examples
- A fridge magnet stays on the fridge, but when heated enough, it loses its stickiness.
- Heating a magnet can make it lose its power entirely.
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See also
- How are permanent and temporary magnets different?
- How physicists found a new type of magnet hiding in plain sight?
- What are ferromagnetic substances?
- What are temporary magnets?
- What are permanent magnets?