Answer: Hard.
- A Soft
- B Temporary
- C Diamagnetic
- D Hard
Correct answer: D. Hard
Explanation: Hard magnetic materials such as steel have a broad hysteresis loop and high retentivity, so they retain magnetism well and make good permanent magnets.
Magnetic field of a bar magnet: field lines emerge from the north pole and re-enter at the south pole outside the magnet, forming continuous closed loops. Image: Geek3, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Concept context
Bar magnets, Earth's magnetism, and how different materials respond to an external magnetic field - diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and ferromagnetic behaviour.