Horseshoe magnets are one of the most iconic, famous, and recognisable magnet shapes alongside the bar magnet, but do you know how a horseshoe magnet works? If not, then don’t worry we’ve got the answer.
Horseshoe magnets are permanent magnets due to their material composition, as it constantly generates a magnetic field within themselves and in their immediate surrounding area.
Like every magnet, a horseshoe magnet has two magnetic poles, north, and south. Both of these poles exert strong gravitational pulls on ferromagnetic materials such as cobalt, nickel, and iron.
These two poles are close together, creating a more direct path for the flux lines, making the magnetic field concentrated between the two poles. This means more ferromagnetic material can be picked up.
The pull force of a horseshoe magnet is what attracts ferromagnetic material to the magnet and holds it in place. The larger the pull force, the more material it can attract as the pull force refers to the limit of holding power a magnet has.
This process is due to the atomic structure of metals. When iron encounters a magnet, its elementary components align with the pole counterparts of the magnet.
So, the north pole of each iron atom moves toward the south pole of the magnet and vice versa, the effect can be seen in the magnetic attraction between these bodies.
