Many aspects of computer engineering are influenced by the study of magnetism. Unlike many fields of study, however, magnetism can be both helpful and harmful when it comes to many of the devices used in computers. One of the most basic examples of the use of magnetism in conjunction with computers is the hard drive. Nowadays, hard drives are used in many different consumer electronics, from computers to mp3 players to game consoles. A hard drive is used to store large amounts of data and also to quickly retrieve stored data. A hard drive works by storing data in the form of tiny magnetic domains on a magnetic "platter." The plate is made up of thousands of tiny magnetic domains. Within each domain, a northern charge would indicate a 1, while a southern charge would indicate a 0. Since all computer data is made up of 1s and 0s, it can be stored on a hard drive as N- and S-charged domains. The charge is written by a read/write head at the end of the actuator arm. The actuator is controlled using two very powerful magnets that move the arm. Although the magnets might seem to interfere with the magnetic storage on the platter, the magnets that control the actuator are positioned on a vertical axis, so the field they produce does not change the storage on the platter. It is because of the nature of hard drives that magnets can also be so harmful. If you were to take a magnet and attach it to the top of a hard drive, the magnet would alter existing states on the platter resulting in data loss. Another example of computer technology is a standard CRT computer monitor. Although LCD monitors have become more popular due to their size, traditional cathode rays You… center of the paper… a fan above the heat sink to further distribute the heat. Some new computers come standard with 3 or 5 fans, and some people have up to 9 or more in a single case. It goes without saying that as the number of fans increases, the noise level also increases. One way to reduce the noise level and increase the amount of cooling is to use magnetically driven fans. Because it is magnetically driven, it requires less space in the traditional motor hub area, which results in greater airflow, improving heat dissipation efficiency. They work by creating a magnetic field on the outside of the fan blades and using it to push the blades creating airflow. Between the way hard drives work, the way a CRT can display images, and the way fans work, there are many ways magnets affect the way computers work and even improve existing technology..