do magnets work in space?

Question

just want to know

Answer 1

Yes; electromagnetism works exactly the same in space. In fact, there are some very big magnets in space. The Earth is one of them! The biggest magnet in the entire solar system, however, is the Sun. It's magnetic field is enormous, with its influence encompassing all of the planets.

Answer 2

Absolutely. A great modern invention is the high intensity permanent magnets that allow you to open and close car windows or adjust car seats using very small electric motors. I'd guess similar motors are used in space to perform similar functions; and must work properly every time. Permanent magnets are created by aligning the atoms and (molecules) within a metal (iron or steel alloys) to work together as opposed to acting in random directions. For example, heat a steel bar very hot and cool it while subject to a strong electromagnetic field and all the tiny magnets in the bar will align (like compass needles seeking North) and will "freeze" like marchers in a band all headed the same way. They will remain that way in space or until the bar is reheated.

Answer 3

A magnetic field is usually described with "magnetic field lines." Every point in space is on one of these lines, and the direction of the line tells you in which way a compass will point. The important thing about magnetic field lines is that they are always closed. That is, they don't end anywhere - they wrap around on themselves, like a circle. In a bar magnet, they come out the north pole of the magnet and then go back in through the south pole. The earth has its own magnetic field lines, which pass from the north pole through the center of the earth and out the south pole, continue away from the earth's surface to the edge of the magnetosphere, then wrap back around to the north pole. The earth is basically a giant bar magnet, except that the our north pole is actually a magnetic south pole! On the earth's surface, the field lines point toward the south pole - compasses always point north, because they point along the direction opposite to the field lines.

In space, then, magnets won't work any differently. They will still point along field lines. The question is what the field itself is doing. The magnetic field around the earth is known as the "magnetosphere." Throughout the magnetosphere, as on the earth's surface, the magnetic field lines bend from the north pole to the south pole. So in a sense, a compass will "turn around" if you orbit the earth, but by our perspective it always points north. The earth's magnetosphere is about 40 times as large as the earth itself.

The sun has its own magnetic fields, which are considerably stronger than the earth's. (Magnetic fields on the sun cause sunspots, solar flares, and other energetic events like coronal mass ejections.) The solar wind, a stream of electrically charged particles flying away from the sun, drags the sun's magnetic field lines away from the sun. At the edge of the magnetosphere, the field lines in the solar wind hit the earth's own field lines. On the side of the earth closest to the sun, the solar wind pushes the earth's magnetosphere closer to the surface; on the far side, the earth's magnetosphere is protected from the solar wind, so it streams out behind the earth. At the interface (which is about forty earth radii above the earth's surface), the field lines from the earth and solar wind merge into longer lines. The interplanetary magnetic field carried along with the solar wind is much weaker than the earth's, but it keeps the earth's magnetosphere contained because of the pressure from the energetic solar wind that accompanies it.

The point is that outside of the earth's magnetosphere, the sun's magnetic field dominates, and this is completely independent of the earth. The same sort of process occurs around every planet with a reasonably strong magnetosphere (Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune): the field lines from the solar wind bang into the planet's magnetosphere and connect to it where they strike. Because the magnetosphere of each planet is relatively small compared to the distance between planets, the magnetic field in the solar wind determines the field direction throughout most of the solar system (including in between two planets). The interplanetary magnetic field generally streams out from the sun toward the planets, but the rotation of the sun bends the field lines, making the general shape of the interplanetary magnetic field into a spiral. However, due to activity on the sun, there are regions even larger than the earth with unusual field structures. So the direction a compass would point can change with time!

Answer 4

Yes. As far as we know, there are only four forces in the universe -- 1) the electromagnetic force; 2) gravity; 3) the strong nuclear force; and 4) the weak nuclear force. These forces are present anywhere in the universe (again, as far as we know). Magnetism is a part of the electromagnetic force. So is visible light, radio waves, x-rays, ultraviolet radiation, etc.

Answer 5

Yes. Magnetism goes through a vacuum with no problem.

Answer 6

Magnet fields do not require a medium in which to function. Thus, the absence of any substance (e.g. air) will not affect a magnet at all.

Answer 7

Yes, and a very great question. I used to debate that it would be no because a magnet requires a magnetic field, but I found that to be untrue while reading science books, websites, etc. Here are a few links to help you understand.

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/explore/faq/space_missions.html#MAGNET
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_field
http://science.howstuffworks.com/electromagnet1.htm
I hope that I helped!

Answer 8

Great question!

I'm sorry that I dont have an answer for you, but I just wanted you to know how good this question is.

With the earth being polarized, without gravity, without static charges, whatever the case may be. I hope someone can answer this with some validity.

Answer 9

Certainly

Answer 10

Yes