The type of magnet that can be turned on and off using electricity is an electromagnet.

What is an electromagnet?

An electromagnet is made by winding a coil of wire, often around an iron core, and then running electric current through that coil.

When the current flows, a magnetic field appears; when the current is switched off, the magnetic field (and therefore the magnet) essentially disappears.

How the on/off “switch” works

  • The “switch” is simply controlling the electric current going through the coil. Turn the switch on, current flows, the coil becomes a magnet.
  • Turn the switch off, the current stops, the magnetic field collapses, and the magnet lets go of whatever it was holding (like scrap metal or a door lock).

In many industrial machines (like scrapyard cranes), this is exactly how they pick up and drop heavy metal loads quickly and safely.

Bonus: related “switchable” magnets

While “electromagnet” is the standard answer to “which type of magnets can be turned on and off using electricity?” , there are some interesting variations:

  • Electropermanent magnets : These use permanent magnets plus a short electric pulse to switch an external magnetic field on or off, but they do not need continuous power to stay on.
  • Regular permanent magnets cannot usually be switched off; they are “always on” unless demagnetized or mechanically shielded.

Mini FAQ

Q: Is an electromagnet always using power while it’s “on”?
Yes. It only behaves as a magnet while current flows, which is why it can be instantly turned off by cutting the power.

Q: What’s a simple real-life example?
Magnetic door locks and many industrial lifting magnets use electromagnets that activate when powered and release when the current stops.

TL;DR: The magnet that can be turned on and off with electricity is an electromagnet , and in more advanced systems an electropermanent magnet can also be switched using short electrical pulses.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.