Curie Point
The Curie Point is the temperature at which certain materials lose their permanent magnetic properties and become paramagnetic. Named after the physicist Marie Curie, this phenomenon occurs because the thermal energy at high temperatures disrupts the alignment of magnetic domains within the material.
When a ferromagnetic material, such as iron, reaches its Curie Point, it can no longer maintain its magnetization. This temperature varies for different materials; for example, the Curie Point for iron is approximately 770 degrees Celsius. Understanding the Curie Point is essential in fields like materials science and engineering, where magnetic properties are crucial.