Horseshoe magnet

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Horseshoe magnet with computed magnetic field lines. The two magnetic poles are in close vicinity, which concentrates the field lines and creates a strong magnetic field.
Magnetic fields of a horseshoe magnet visualized using iron filings.

A horseshoe magnet is either a permanent magnet or an electromagnet made in the shape of a horseshoe (in other words, in a U-shape). The permanent kind has become the most widely recognized symbol for magnets.[1]: 2  It is usually depicted as red and marked with 'North' and 'South' poles.[1]: 3  Although rendered obsolete in the 1950s by squat, cylindrical magnets made of modern materials,[1]: 3,467  horseshoe magnets are still regularly shown in elementary school textbooks.[1]: 3  Historically, they were a solution to the problem of making a compact magnet that does not destroy itself in its own demagnetizing field.[1]: 2 [2]

  1. ^ a b c d e Coey, J. M. D. (2010). Magnetism and Magnetic Materials. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-511-67743-4.
  2. ^ "Why are Magnets Shaped like Horseshoes?". K&J Magnetics, Inc. Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2023.