What is a Neodymium Magnet?
Neodymium is the most powerful permanent magnetic material of which we are currently aware. It is also affordable, making it suitable for myriad applications. The chemical composition of a neodymium magnet is Nd2Fe14B, which is two atoms of neodymium, fourteen iron atoms, and one boron atom. A neodymium magnet is a rare-earth magnet, in contrast to conventional ferrite and ceramic magnets. Rare-earth magnets are distinct in that they contain atoms from either the lanthanide or actinide series in the periodic table. Neodymium magnets are the greatest of the rare-earth magnets. The strength of their magnetic field at the poles ranges from just under 1 tesla (T) to as high as 1.5 T. Because they are cheap – you can get a small neodymium magnet for a single US dollar (USD) – these magnets are used quite frequently in industry and among hobbyists and dabblers. For example, every computer hard drive has a small neodymium magnet which helps direct the needle that reads data. They can also be
