What are some uses of magnets?

Magnets are used to make electric motors and generators. Without these electric motors and generators we would not have telephones, lights, electric heat, television, or computers.

Some items that use electromagnets are: Maglev trains, car crushers, scrap metal sorters, telephones, computers, doorbells, tape recorders etc.

Maglev trains use super conducting magnets in the track and on the underside of the train to “float” above the track. Maglev trains use magnetic repulsion. Maglev trains can travel very fast, up to 480 km/h (300 mph). These Maglev trains are being used in Japan. This train line opened in April 1997. In April of 1999 this train was clocked at an incredible 343 miles an hour! The United States government has set aside 1 billion dollars to build a Maglev train.

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Sometimes magnets are used to sort magnetic and non-magnetic materials. Examples of magnets being used as separators are:

• Metals separated from ore
• Food manufactures us magnets to keep small metal filings from machinery from getting into food.
• Candy and coke venders use magnets to separate coins from slugs that are put into their machines.

An electromagnet is being used

to sort metals in a scrap yard.

At home we use magnets to hold things up or to pick up small things:

Some examples of this are:

• sewing pins
• electric can openers
• Magnets can hold things to the refrigerator.

Magnets are also used in compasses to show attraction and repulsion. Magnetized compasses are used to detect underground metal pipes.

A magnetic compass helps us in direction finding.

Compasses always points towards the magnetic north pole.