What is it that makes a magnet different from a piece of iron that is not magnetic?

A ferromagnetic material is a substance that can possess magnetization in the absence of an external magnetic field. ... The main difference between hard iron and soft iron is that hard iron cannot be demagnetized once it is magnetized whereas soft iron can be demagnetized once it is magnetized

Explanation:

Under normal conditions, a magnetic material like iron doesn't behave like a magnet because the domains don't have a preferred direction of alignment. On the other hand, the domains of a magnet. In soft iron, the domains return to being randomly aligned when the field is removed. Hard iron is used in permanent magnets. To make a permanent magnet, a piece of hard iron is placed in a magnetic field.  An electromagnet, in contrast, uses soft iron; this allows the field to be turned on and off.

Under normal conditions, a magnetic material like iron doesn't behave like a magnet because the domains don't have a preferred direction of alignment. On the other hand, the domains of a magnet (or a magnetized iron) are all aligned in s specific direction.

Explanation: