Magnetism – still a mystery

Published: 2025-08-28 10:18:09 • Daniel Gårdefelt

Magnets are used in all sorts of things, which we at HYAB Magneter know better than anyone. In addition to industrial applications such as electric motors and industrial locks, magnets are also found in toys, on our refrigerator doors, and in advertising signs, among other things.

Although we now have a fairly good understanding of how magnets work in different situations, which materials attract (and repel) magnets, and what different magnetic materials exist, there is still much about magnetism that remains shrouded in mystery.

One example is why compasses work the way they do—we don't know. We know that the Earth acts as a large magnet with a magnetic field. For over 2,000 years, humans have therefore used compasses to navigate north and thus also the other three cardinal directions. However, no one knows why the Earth acts like a giant magnet, where the magnetic field comes from, or how it behaves exactly.

This is just one of many reasons why magnetism both fascinates and exudes a sense of mystery, something that makes our work at HYAB particularly interesting.

Would you like to know more about magnetism or how we use our knowledge to create innovative solutions for different industries? Contact us at +46 8 26 10 80 or [email protected] and we will be happy to tell you more about how they can be used in your particular business.

Source: https://plus.maths.org/content/mysterious-magnetism#:~:text=The%20Earth%20has%20a%20magnetic,and%20how%20exactly%20it%20behaves