The effect of temperature on ferromagnetic materials is profound and gradual. As the temperature increases, the thermal motion of the atoms in the material increases, which disrupts the alignment of the magnetic domains. At low temperatures, ferromagnetic materials exhibit a strong net magnetization due to the alignment of these domains. However, as the temperature rises, the thermal energy competes with the alignment of the domains, causing them to become misaligned.
Step 1: Curie Temperature.
When the temperature reaches a critical value called the Curie temperature, the thermal energy becomes large enough to completely disrupt the alignment of the magnetic domains. At this point, the ferromagnetic material no longer exhibits any bulk magnetization and becomes paramagnetic. In the paramagnetic state, the material no longer has spontaneous magnetization and only aligns with an external magnetic field.
Step 2: Gradual Change.
The transition from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic behavior happens gradually with temperature. As the temperature increases, the ferromagnetic material's magnetization decreases, and once the Curie temperature is surpassed, the material no longer behaves as a ferromagnet. This process is gradual and depends on the specific material.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, the effect of temperature on ferromagnets is that as the temperature increases, their magnetization decreases, and once a certain temperature (Curie temperature) is reached, the material loses its ferromagnetic properties and becomes paramagnetic.