Question

What is the coercive force of high carbon steel?

(a) 3.98

(b) 5.57

(c) 18.31

(d) 60

The question was asked during an internship interview.

This intriguing question comes from Soft and Hard Magnetic Materials topic in section Magnetic & Insulating Materials of Engineering Material & Metallurgy

Answer 1

The correct answer is (a) 3.98

To elaborate: Coercive force is defined as the ability of a material to withstand a magnetic field. It is denoted by Hc and must be larger for permanent magnets (hard magnetic material). High carbon steel has a coercive force of 3.98 kA m^-1.