How does magnetism work?

Magnetism is a fundamental force of nature that is created by the movement of electrons. Electrons are tiny, negatively charged particles that orbit around the nucleus of an atom. When electrons move, they create a magnetic field.

Magnetic fields are invisible areas of force that surround a magnet or a moving charged particle. These fields can be either attractive or repulsive, depending on the orientation of the magnets or the charges involved.

The strength of a magnetic field is measured in units called teslas. The Earth's magnetic field, for example, has a strength of about 0.5 gauss or 50 microteslas. Strong magnets, on the other hand, can have a field strength of several teslas.

There are several ways to create a magnetic field, including the movement of electrons in a current-carrying wire, the alignment of the spins of electrons in a material, and the motion of charged particles in a magnetic field.

Magnetism has many practical applications in our daily lives, including in electric motors, generators, MRI machines, and computer hard drives.