eli5 How do permanent magnets work?

Question

I know any moving charges / electric current create a magnetic field, and this is what creates magnetic effects in electromagnets. But how do the exact same effects appear in permanent magnets? And where does the energy come from? tia

In: 5

Answer 1

(Strongly oversimplifying here) permanent magnets work because they’re made of smaller magnets. The moving things are the electrons in the atoms. For there to be a noticeable field, a whole lot of things have to be just right, which is why most materials aren’t magnets.