Question

Out of soft iron and steel which has more coercivity and less retentivity?

Answer 1

Coercivity :

• It is the intensity of the applied magnetic field required to reduce the magnetization of a given material to zero.
• The ability of ferromagnetic material to withstand an external magnetic field without becoming demagnetized

Retentivity :

• It is the capacity of an object to retain magnetism after the action of the magnetizing force has ceased.
• It is a property of a magnetic material by which magnetism is left in the specimen even when the magnetising field is reduced to zero.

Since steel require a greater magnetic field so as to reduce magnetisation to zero.

Hence, steel has more coercivity and less retentivity compared to soft iron.