Is Key Magnetic? 5 Facts You Should Know!

Keys are metallic incision objects used to open locks. There are different types of keys available with different magnetic characteristics. We shall ponder on the same in this article.

The key can be magnetic or nonmagnetic based on the type of metal used to fabricate the key. Keys are mostly made up of brass, silver, nickel alloys, and copper alloys. The brass and silver alloy keys are diamagnetic, copper alloys are paramagnetic, and nickel alloy is ferromagnetic.

The magnetic behavior of the key varies based on the metal used. We can test the magnetic behavior of the key by placing a magnet close to the key. We use different types of keys of varied colors and metal. Further in this article, we shall elaborate on the magnetic characteristics of each type of key in detail.

Is a steel key magnetic?

Steel keys are silvered-colored keys mostly used for drawers, cupboards, small stores, and even door keys. Let us discuss whether a steel key is magnetic.

Steel key is magnetic and attracts easily to a magnet. It is an alloy of iron with a small amount of carbon to increase its hardness. Four unpaired electrons available in the 3d orbital of an iron atom are free to move and align in the direction of the magnetic field, thus making a steel key ferromagnetic.

Is a brass key magnetic?

The brass key is made up of copper alloyed with zinc. It is a good conductor of heat and has good corrosion resistance. Let us see whether a brass key is magnetic or not.

A brass key is not magnetic and shows weak diamagnetic characteristics as it repels away from the magnet. The copper constituting brass is weakly paramagnetic due to the presence of 1 unpaired electron in 4s but makes a stable configuration, and zinc is diamagnetic. The combination of both makes it diamagnetic.

Is a car key magnetic?

A car key is mostly made up of metals like nickel, aluminium, steel, brass, silver, and zinc. Let us discuss whether a car key is magnetic or not.

A car key is magnetic, and can also be nonmagnetic based on the metal used. The car keys made up of nickel and steel keys are ferromagnetic; silver, brass, and zinc are diamagnetic; while aluminium is paramagnetic.

Is a house key magnetic?

The house keys mostly consist of nickel, silver, steel, and brass metals molded into different shapes and sizes. Let us ponder on the magnetic behavior of a house key.

The modern house key is mostly nonmagnetic because metal alloys like brass and silver are mostly used to make the house keys. These metals are diamagnetic in characteristics. A house key can also be magnetic if it is made of steel and nickel, and a magnet easily attracts these keys.

key 2 — Key Image by Pethrus (CC BY-SA 3.0) from Wikimedia Commons

Is a door key magnetic?

A door key is mostly made up of steel and iron. It has good hardness and rigidity. Let us discuss whether a door key is magnetic or not.

A door key is magnetic because it composes ferromagnetic iron and easily attracts the magnet as the magnetic dipoles in iron are present without a magnetic field and can generate its magnetic field. It can attract charges and result in a static electric discharge by bringing it to the close vicinity of another object.

Conclusion

We can conclude with this article that based on the type of metal and the alloy used to make a key; the key can be magnetic or nonmagnetic. Modern keys are made of brass to sustain them for a long duration as it is diamagnetic. The magnetic behavior of metal depends upon the availability of unpaired electrons.