
Magnets and their associated magnetic field lines. A permanent magnet (such as a bar or disk elipsis
Any material capable of attracting
iron and producing a
magnetic field outside itself. By the end of the 19th century, all known elements and many compounds had been tested for
magnetism, and all were found to have some magnetic property. However, only three elements—iron,
nickel, and
cobalt—exhibit
ferromagnetism.
Seealso compass,
electromagnet.
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.