Identification

The most common super magnets contain the neodymium, iron and boron. Others are made from sumarium and cobalt; another combination includes aluminum, nickel and cobalt.

Fun Fact

In 2009, NASA scientists created a super magnet so strong, it could actually lift up a mouse.

Features

Scientists measure magnet strength in units of gauss. Neodymium magnets are generally the most powerful, with the highest grade neodymium magnets rated with at least 12,500 gauss. This type of super magnet can withstand temperatures up to 80 degrees Celsius before losing magnetization.

Benefits

Super magnets contain a lot of energy, considering the size of their material. In addition, they are fairly cheap, so computer manufacturers often use them in hard drives.

Warning

People need to handle super magnets with care. Super magnets are so strong that they can distort nearby electronic equipment and attract metal objects from several inches away--which could potentially trap the owners' hand between the magnet and the metallic object. In addition, neodymium magnets are especially fragile, so they should always stay at least 12 inches away from other super magnets.

Source:

Argonne National Laboratory: Super Magnets

Gizmodo.com; NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate

UnitedNuclear.com: Neodymium Magnets

More Information:

MagnetSource.com: Super Neodymium Magnets

Popular Mechanics: MythBusters Workshop--Fun with Supermagnets