magnet-, magneto- +
(Greek: Magnesian [stone]; Magnesia having been a mineral-rich region of Thessaly)
Geomagnetism refers to te many magnetic phenomena that are generated by the Earth and its atmosphere, and to the magnetic phenomena in interplanetary space.
2. A branch of geology concerned with the magnetic properties of the Earth (no pl): Jim's mother was an expert in geomagnetism and gave lectures at the university, in addition to doing research in this field of science.
2. Resulting from the magnetic properties of a spinning, electrically charged particle.
2. An object made of iron oxide or steel which attracts iron and has polarity.
3. An electromagnet.
4. A person, a place, an object, or a situation that exerts strong attraction.
A peculiar stone from the neighborhood of the town of Magnesia, in Thessaly, Greece, which had the power of attracting small pieces of iron
The ancients, including Homer and Plato, knew about the "magnet" or the stone which they called magnes, from the name of the town, or more frequently, lithos Magnetis, "stone of Magnesia" from which we inherited the word "magnet".
It had two specific applications: to ore with magnetic properties, and to stone with a metallic sheen. It was the first of these that has come down to English via Latin magneta.
English magnesia came from the same source, but it is not clear how it came to be applied (in the 18th century) to "magnesium oxide" because it originally referred to a "constituent of the philosopher's stone; in the vague terminology of the alchemists.
In the 17th century, it was used for "manganese" which came via French from Italian manganese, an alteration of medieval Latin magnesia.
When the term magnesium was introduced at the suggestion of the chemist Sir Humphry Davy, it also denoted "manganese" in the beginning.
There is no evidence that the Greeks put the peculiar characteristics of the stone to any use; in fact, the first European record of any applications of the properties of the magnet is not found before the end of the twelfth century A.D.
The first European mention of a magnetized needle and its use among sailors occurs in Alexander Neckam's De naturis rerum (On the Natures of Things), probably written in Paris in 1190.
Through the use of the compass, this "stone of Magnesia" or magnes came to be known as a lodestone because, like the lodestar, it pointed the way (from the Middle English word lode, "way").
William Gilbert, in 1600, was the first to produce a scientific study of magnetism.
2. The point where the meridians join; for example, where the magnetic field is vertical.
Certain atomic nuclei with an odd number of neutrons, protons, or both are subjected to a radio-frequency pulse, causing them to absorb and release energy.
2. A non-invasive method of imaging the body and its organs; as well as, studying tissue metabolism.More details about MRI
The body is placed in a magnetic field which causes certain atomic nuclei to align in the direction of the field. Pulses of radio-frequency radiation are then applied; interpretation of the frequencies absorbed and re-emitted allows an image in any body plane to be built up.
Different tissues; for example, fat and water, can be separately identified and, if the resonance signal for the fat is suppressed, then only the signal from any abnormalities in the fat can be identified.
Many diseases result in a rise in the water content of tissues; so, MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, is a valuable test for identifying certain diseases.
This occurs when electrically charged particles are in motion, either from their movement in an electric current or from their presence in a permanent magnet (a substance or object that retains its own magnetic properties).
Certain metals are observed to have a strong property of magnetism.
2. A theoretical procedure that would drive warships and submarines in seawater by having the water enter a cylindrical duct running through the hull and the interaction between a vertical magnetic field and an electric current passing horizontally through the water in the duct which pushes the water out of the stern, generating thrust.