Question

When does an iron rod become magnetic?

Answer 1

Hint: We can start by defining what a magnet is and what kind of material a piece of iron is based on its magnetic property. We can then see the way in which these types of materials can be made into a magnetic or made magnetic.

Complete answer:
A magnet can be defined as a material that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is actually the reason for a number of notable magnetic properties, that is properties like attraction and repulsion.Materials can be classified into three based on their magnetic properties, namely ferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic.

Ferromagnetic materials are the ones that have magnetic domains that point in the same direction. Some examples include iron, cobalt etc.Ferrimagnetic materials are those materials that have the magnetic domains in opposite directions. Some of the examples of ferrimagnetic materials include magnetite and manganese.

Antiferromagnetic materials are materials in which the magnetism from the magnetic ions or atoms is cancelled out by the rest. Some examples include hematite and nickel oxide.Iron is a kind of ferromagnetic material, and when you rub a piece of iron along a magnet the north seeking poles of the atoms get lined up in one direction. This causes a force to build up a force and this force creates a magnetic field. This is how a piece of iron becomes a magnet.

Note: A piece of iron can also be converted into a magnet using a coil known as a “solenoid”. When current is passed through the solenoid, the iron molecules get aligned in the direction of the magnetic field. These iron molecules act as tiny individual magnets and when they are lined in the same pattern, the rod becomes magnetic.