Orders of magnitude (magnetic field)

This page lists examples of magnetic induction B in teslas and gauss produced by various sources, grouped by orders of magnitude.

The magnetic flux density does not measure how strong a magnetic field is, but only how strong the magnetic flux is in a given point or at a given distance (usually right above the magnet's surface). For the intrinsic order of magnitude of magnetic fields, see: Orders of magnitude (magnetic moment).

Note:

• Traditionally, the magnetizing field, H, is measured in amperes per meter.
• Magnetic induction B (also known as magnetic flux density) has the SI unit tesla [T or Wb/m²].^[1]
• One tesla is equal to 10⁴ gauss.
• Magnetic field drops off as the inverse cube of the distance (⁠1/distance³⁠) from a dipole source.
• Energy required to produce laboratory magnetic fields increases with the square of magnetic field.^[2]

Examples

These examples attempt to make the measuring point clear, usually the surface of the item mentioned.

Magnetic field strength (from lower to higher orders of magnitude)

Factor (tesla)	SI name	SI Value	CGS Value	Example of magnetic field strength
10−18 T	attotesla	1 aT	10 fG
		5 aT	50 fG	Sensitivity of Gravity Probe B gyroscope's "SQUID" magnetometer (most sensitive when averaged over days)[3]
10−17 T		10 aT	100 fG
10−16 T		100 aT	1 pG
10−15 T	femtotesla	1 fT	10 pG
		2 fT	20 pG
10−14 T		10 fT	100 pG
10−13 T		100 fT	1 nG	Human brain
10−12 T	picotesla	1 pT	10 nG
10−11 T		10 pT	100 nG	"Potholes" in the magnetic field found in the heliosheath around the Solar System reported by Voyager 1 (NASA, 2006)[4]
10−10 T		100 pT	1 μG	Heliosphere
10−9 T	nanotesla	1 nT	10 μG
10−8 T		10 nT	100 μG
10−7 T		100 nT	1 mG	Coffeemaker (30 cm or 1 ft away)[5]
		100 nT to 500 nT	1 mG to 5 mG	Residential electric distribution lines (34.5 kV) (15 m or 49 ft away)[5][6]
10−6 T	microtesla	1 μT	10 mG	Blender (30 cm or 1 ft away)[5]
		1.3 μT to 2.7 μT	13 mG to 27 mG	High power (500 kV) transmission lines (30 m or 100 ft away)[6]
		6 μT	60 mG	Microwave oven (30 cm or 1 ft away)[5]
10−5 T		10 μT	100 mG
		24 μT	240 mG	Magnetic tape near tape head
		31 μT	310 mG	Earth's magnetic field at 0° latitude (on the equator)
		58 μT	580 mG	Earth's magnetic field at 50° latitude
10−4 T		100 μT	1 G	Magnetic flux density that will induce an electromotive force of 10−8 volts in each centimeter of a wire moving perpendicularly at 1 ⁠centimeter/second⁠ by definition (1 gauss = 1 ⁠maxwell/centimeter²⁠)[7]
		500 μT	5 G	Suggested exposure limit for cardiac pacemakers by American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)
10−3 T	millitesla	1 mT	10 G	Refrigerator magnets (10 G[8] to 100 G[9])
10−2 T	centitesla	10 mT	100 G
		30 mT	300 G	Penny-sized ferrite magnet
10−1 T	decitesla	100 mT	1 kG	Penny-sized neodymium magnet
		150 mT	1.5 kG	Sunspot
100 T	tesla	1 T	10 kG	Inside the core of a 60 Hz power transformer (1 T to 2 T as of 2001[update])[10][11] or voice coil gap of a loudspeaker magnet (1 T to 2.4 T as of 2006[update])[12]
		1.5 T to 7 T	15 kG to 70 kG	Medical magnetic resonance imaging systems (in practice)[13][14][15]
		9.4 T	94 kG	Experimental magnetic resonance imaging systems: NMR spectrometer at 400 MHz (9.4 T) to 500 MHz (11.7 T)
101 T	decatesla	10 T	100 kG
		11.7 T	117 kG
		16 T	160 kG	Levitate a frog by distorting its atomic orbitals[16]
		23.5 T	235 kG	1 GHz NMR spectrometer[17]
		32 T	320 kG	Strongest continuous magnet field produced by all-superconducting magnet[18][19]
		38 T	380 kG	Strongest continuous magnetic field produced by non-superconductive resistive magnet[20]
		45.22 T	452.2 kG	Strongest non-tiny continuous magnetic field produced in a laboratory (Steady High Magnetic Field Facility (SHMFF) in Hefei, China, 2022),[21] beating previous 45 T record (National High Magnetic Field Laboratory's FSU, USA, 1999)[22] (both are hybrid magnets, combining a superconducting magnet with a resistive magnet)
		45.5 T	455 kG	Strongest continuous magnetic field produced in a laboratory (National High Magnetic Field Laboratory's FSU, USA, 2019), though the magnet is tiny (only 390 grams)[23]
102 T	hectotesla	100 T	1 MG	Strongest pulsed non-destructive ("multi-shot") magnetic field produced in a laboratory (Pulsed Field Facility at National High Magnetic Field Laboratory's Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA)[24]
103 T	kilotesla	1 kT	10 MG
		1.2 kT	12 MG	Record for indoor pulsed magnetic field, (University of Tokyo, 2018)[25]
		2.8 kT	28 MG	Record for human produced, pulsed magnetic field, (VNIIEF, 2001)[26]
104 T		10 kT	100 MG
		35 kT	350 MG	Felt by valence electrons in a xenon atom due to the spin–orbit effect[27]
105 T		100 kT	1 GG	Non-magnetar neutron stars[28]
106 T	megatesla	1 MT	10 GG
107 T		10 MT	100 GG
108 T		100 MT	1 TG
109 T	gigatesla	1 GT	10 TG	Schwinger limit (~4.41 GT) above which the electromagnetic field becomes nonlinear
		1.6 GT	16 TG	Swift J0243.6+6124 most magnetic pulsar[29][30]
1010 T		10 GT	100 TG	Magnetar neutron stars[31]
1011 T		100 GT	1 PG
1012 T	teratesla	1 TT	10 PG
1013 T		10 TT	100 PG
1014 T		100 TT	1 EG	Magnetic fields inside heavy ion collisions at RHIC[32][33]