physics question #587 m, a 14 year old female from the Internet
asks on January 23, 2002,Q: Does water affect a magnet's
strength? Do magnets lose their strength in cold temperatures?
Are there any exceptions? viewed 16331 times Water does not
significantly affect a magnet's strength except that small parts
of some magnets may have a chemical reaction with water, so that
some magnets have to be coated if they will be immersed in water
for an extended period of time. Most metallic magnets (alnicos,
rare-earth & neodymium magnets) actually become stronger in cold
temperatures. However, the common "ceramic" magnets made of
ferrites (mostly iron barium oxide), used widely in applications
where low cost is more important than maximum properties, do
lose some of their strength in very cold temperatures. Reader
Lizette, asks on January 22, 2004: Why are magnets stronger when
they are in colder temperatures? Dr. Livingston answers on
January 28, 2004: Most ferromagnets gradually lose a bit of
their magnetism as tempe