Can magnets stop a bullet?

Magnets have long fascinated humans with their invisible forces that can attract or repel certain metals. This has led some to wonder – can magnets be used to stop a speeding bullet? In this article, we’ll examine the science behind magnets and bullets, look at some anecdotal evidence, and ultimately determine whether magnets can in fact stop bullets.

Table of Contents

How Do Magnets Work?

Magnets create magnetic fields, which exert forces on certain materials like iron. Every magnet has a north and south pole. Opposite poles attract, while like poles repel each other. The strength of a magnetic field diminishes rapidly with distance. Magnetic fields are created by the motion of electrically charged particles. In permanent magnets, the alignment of these particles causes the magnetic field.

Some key facts about magnets:

Magnetic fields are invisible lines of force surrounding a magnet.
The closer you are to a magnet, the stronger the magnetic force.
Magnets can attract or repel, depending on pole orientation.

Common magnets lose their magnetism above a certain temperature called the Curie point.
The Earth itself acts like a giant magnet, with north and south magnetic poles.

So in summary, magnets can exert significant forces, but only at close distances. Their strength drops off quickly with distance.

Bullet Ballistics

For a magnet to stop a bullet, we need to understand the speed, mass, and composition of bullets. Here are some key bullet characteristics:

Handgun bullets travel at speeds of 700-1400 feet per second.
Rifle bullets are much faster, from 2000-4000 feet per second.

Bullets are made of a lead core wrapped in a copper or brass jacket.
Weights range from around 30-150 grains (2-10 grams).
Kinetic energy depends on mass and velocity squared.

So bullets, especially from rifles, are very fast. And their kinetic energy – the energy of motion – can be immense. Any magnet that could stop them would need to have very strong fields at a distance.

Documented Attempts to Stop Bullets with Magnets

There are a few stories floating around the internet about people claiming to stop bullets with magnets. However, most seem to be unverified anecdotes without solid documentation. A few notable attempts:

In a YouTube video, a man appears to show a magnet deflecting a bullet. But the low video quality makes it hard to confirm.

A show on the Discovery Channel tested magnets against bullets but found no effect.
A magnet vendor claimed to stop a .22 bullet with a powerful 14,000 gauss neodymium magnet. But this was not independently verified.
There are several reports of magnets being damaged or knocked over by bullets, implying they failed to stop them.

So while stories exist, there’s no irrefutable proof that magnets have stopped or even deflected bullets in these anecdotes.

Scientific Feasibility Analysis

Now let’s break down the scientific factors involved to get a definitive answer on whether magnets can stop bullets.

Magnetic Field Strength

The strength of magnetic fields diminish extremely quickly with distance. For example, holding a fridge magnet near an iron surface might exhibit forces up to tens of newtons. But at a distance of 1 centimeter, that force drops below a single newton.

To physically stop a bullet, extremely powerful fields would be needed at a distance of at least several centimeters. Commonly available permanent magnets won’t cut it. For context, MRI machines use special superconducting magnets with fields up to 10,000 times stronger than refrigerator magnets. But even those only work over very short distances.

Magnetic Susceptibility

Bullet velocity and energy are one challenge. But interacting with the bullet itself is another. Lead has very low magnetic susceptibility – meaning it does not become magnetic easily. Thus lead bullets will not experience significant magnetic forces. The copper jacket is equally non-magnetic.

Ferromagnetic bullets with a steel core would be needed for magnets to impact trajectory. But even then, huge field strengths would be required to counteract the kinetic energy.

Magnet Size and Proximity

The magnet would need to be very close to the barrel as the bullet exits to have any effect. A magnet sitting on a table won’t stop a bullet across a room. Mounting a sufficiently large supermagnet directly on the barrel could work in theory. But practicality and safety concerns rule this out.

Energy Required

Let’s consider the energy needed to stop a bullet. Rifle bullets can have over 1000 Joules of kinetic energy. Through E=mc^2, we know energy and mass are interchangeable. So an extremely heavy, firmly mounted magnet could potentially stop a bullet through sheer inertia and strength. But portable magnets light enough to hold will not have nearly enough mass to drain a bullet’s kinetic energy.

Can Magnets Stop Bullets in Real Life?

Based on this analysis, it seems highly doubtful magnets can stop or even deflect bullets under real-world conditions. Very strong magnetic fields are needed over distances too great for practical magnets. The diamagnetic properties of bullets also limit the forces exerted. While one might conjure up fanciful scenarios of enormous, immovable supermagnets on a barrel, overall the verdict appears clear – magnets cannot stop bullets. Claims to the contrary likely arise from exaggeration, fraud, or misinterpretation of results.

Potential Applications

While handheld magnets cannot stop bullets, there may be some promising applications of magnetism related to firearms:

Mounting magnets on barrels or bullet paths to measure discharge speed and energy for ballistics analysis.
Using magnetic spaces or pulses to accelerate rails gun projectiles.

Employing magnetic fields in weapons targeting systems.
Magnets to differentiate bullet types or employ tagged traceable markers.
Deflecting or slowing ferromagnetic projectiles like steel pellets.

So while definitively myth-busted in terms of stopping bullets, magnets do have real current and potential uses in ballistics and firearm systems.

Conclusions

In summary:

Handheld permanent magnets lack the field strength at distance to stop bullets.

The kinetic energy of bullets is too high for portable magnets to absorb.
Bullet composition of lead and copper is not conducive to magnetic forces.
No convincing evidence exists of magnets stopping or deflecting bullets.

Basic scientific principles preclude the feasibility.
But applications like magnetic measurement remain promising areas to explore.

So while the idea of stopping a bullet with a magnet makes for an intriguing notion, the reality does not live up to the Hollywood hype. Powerful magnetic fields have many scientific uses, but portable magnets cannot stop speeding bullets. Future advancements like room temperature superconductors could perhaps change this conclusion. But for now, magnets cannot stop bullets except in science fiction.