Re: does hitting a magnet weaken its magnetic strength

Hi,
     That is a very good question.  The answer is yes, hitting a magnet 
can reduce its magnetic field.  However, it is more likely that it will  
break a modern magnet into little chunks. The various parts of a magnet 
are pushing on each other really hard, so they can fly outward pretty fast 
if you hit it with a hammer.  Don't do it! 
     The little electron "spins" that produce the magnetism are coupled 
to a particular direction in the crystal "lattice" (the three dimensioal 
arrangement of the atoms in the magnet) by a quantum mechanical energy.  
This energy is very sensitive to the distances between the atoms.  When 
you hit a magnet, you force a local change in the separations between the 
atoms.  This lowers the magnetic energy and can partially demagnetize the 
magnet.  
     You can find lots of sites on the web by looking 
under "magnetostriction".        
     You can do your own demonstration of this effect!  Go to a hardware 
store like Home Depot and buy a very large nail.  The one I used is 12 
inches long!  Magnetize it parallel to the length of the nail by rubbing 
with a large and strong magnet.  The nail should then be magnetized enough 
to pull or pick up a paper clip.  Holding the nail as tight as you can 
near the point, hit it as hard as you can a dozen times or so.  Don't hit 
your hand!!  When I did it, the nail would no longer pick up the paper 
clip!
     Good Luck!  Let me know how it worked.

Fred Jeffers 

Jeffers@iomega.com