What does a magnetic field look like?

We're often asked about what the shape of a magnetic field looks like, and how it is changed by its surrounding environment. Below are a few screenshots taken from a magnetic FEA (Finite Element Analysis) software analysis. For these pictures, our popular D42 magnet is shown throughout.

1. A D42 magnet in free space
2. A D42 magnet touching a flat steel plate (Case 1)
3. A D42 magnet between two flat steel plates (Case 2)
4. A pair of D42 magnets (Case 3)
5. A pair of D42 magnets attracting, animated
6. A pair of D42 magnets repelling, animated

A D42 magnet in free space:

A D42 magnet touching a flat steel plate (Case 1):

A D42 magnet between two flat steel plates (Case 2):

A pair of D42 magnets (Case 3):

A pair of D42 magnets attracting, animated:

A pair of D42 magnets repelling, animated: