Permanent Magnets and Electromagnets: What are the Differences?
A permanent magnet is an object made from a material that is magnetized and creates its own persistent magnetic field. As the name suggests, a permanent magnet is ‘permanent’. This means that it always has a magnetic field and will display a magnetic behavior at all times.
An electromagnet is made from a coil of wire which acts as a magnet when an electric current passes through it. Often an electromagnet is wrapped around a core of ferromagnetic material like steel, which enhances the magnetic field produced by the coil.
Permanent Magnet v. Electromagnet: Magnetic Properties
A permanent magnet’s magnetic properties exist when the magnet is (magnetized). An electromagnetic magnet only displays magnetic properties when an electric current is applied to it. That is how you can differentiate between the two. The magnets that you have affixed to your refrigerator are permanent magnets, while electromagnets are the principle behind AC motors.
Permanent Magnet v. Electromagnet: Magnetic Strength
Permanent magnet strength depends upon the material used in its creation. The strength of an electromagnet can be adjusted by the amount of electric current allowed to flow into it. As a result, the same electromagnet can be adjusted for different strength levels.
Permanent Magnet v. Electromagnet: Loss of Magnetic Properties
If a permanent magnet loses its magnetic properties, as it does by heating to a (maximum) temperature, it will be rendered useless and its magnetic properties can be only recovered by re-magnetizing. Contrarily, an electromagnet loses its magnetic power every time an electric current is removed and becomes magnetic once again when the electric field is introduced.
Permanent Magnet v. Electromagnet: Advantages
The main advantage of a permanent magnet over an electromagnet is that a permanent magnet does not require a continuous supply of electrical energy to maintain its magnetic field. However, an electromagnet’s magnetic field can be rapidly manipulated over a wide range by controlling the amount of electric current supplied to the electromagnet.
Note: This is a high level overview of permanent magnets as they compare to electromagnets. There are more details available relating to the differences stated. Please contact us with your specific questions and we’ll be happy to share all the fine points.