Magnetite

minerals · magnetism · iron ore

Nature's Magnet. Magnetite is the strongest naturally magnetic mineral on Earth, which means it's attracted to magnets and can become a permanent magnet itself.

Iron from the Ground. Magnetite is one of the main ores that we dig up to get iron, a metal we use to make everything from buildings to bicycles.

Lodestones: Ancient Magnets. Some pieces of magnetite in nature are already magnetized and called lodestones, and people thousands of years ago used them to discover that magnets exist at all.

Made of Iron and Oxygen. Magnetite's scientific formula is Fe2+Fe3+2O4, which means it's made of iron atoms combined with oxygen in a special way that makes it super magnetic.