Magnets stick to metal, but can you make a magnet repel metal? – M

Magnets stick to metal, but can you make a magnet repel metal? – M

Yes, but not in the way you’re thinking of. When you bring a magnet near a piece of steel, the intrinsic magnetic character of that steel causes it to become magnetic in such a way that it attracts the magnet. There is no way for the steel, or another similar metal, to become magnetic in such a way that it would repel the magnet.

However, if the metal is already magnetized it can repel an approaching magnet. A more interesting case is when a magnet approaches a normally non-magnetic metal at high speeds; in which case electric currents begin to flow through the metal and these currents do repel the approaching magnet.

Leave a Reply