A magnet is a material or object that produces a
magnetic field. A "hard" or "permanent" magnet is one which stays magnetized for a long time, such as magnets often used in refrigerator doors. Permanent magnets occur naturally in some
rocks, particularly
lodestone, but are now more commonly manufactured. A "soft" or "impermanent" magnet is one which loses its memory of previous magnetizations. "Soft" magnetic materials are often used in
electromagnets to enhance (often hundreds or thousands of times) the magnetic field of a wire that carries an
electrical current and is wrapped around the magnet; the field of the "soft" magnet increases with the current.
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A magnet that can retain its magnetic force for an indefinite number of years without an external magnetic-field source.