Cov hlau nplaum tsis tau tsim los ntawm tib neeg. Nws yog ib tug natural magnetite. Cov Greeks thaum ub thiab Suav pom nyob rau hauv qhov xwm txheej ib lub pob zeb magnetized, hu ua "magnet." Lub pob zeb tuaj yeem khaws cov hlau me me thiab ib txwm taw tes rau tib qho kev taw qhia thaum swung ntawm lub siab nyiam.
Cov neeg caij nkoj thaum ntxov tau siv cov hlau nplaum ua lawv thawj lub compass los taug kev hauv hiav txwv. Qhov kev tshawb pom ntxov tshaj plaws thiab siv cov hlau nplaum yuav tsum yog Suav, uas yog, kev siv cov hlau nplaum los ua "compass", yog ib qho ntawm plaub qhov kev tsim khoom zoo tshaj plaws ntawm Tuam Tshoj.
Tom qab ntau txhiab xyoo ntawm txoj kev loj hlob, niaj hnub no hlau nplaum tau dhau los ua cov khoom muaj zog hauv peb lub neej. Los ntawm kev sib xyaw cov khoom sib txawv ntawm cov khoom sib txawv, cov nyhuv tib yam tuaj yeem ua tiav raws li cov hlau nplaum, tab sis nws tuaj yeem ua rau muaj zog sib nqus.
Artificial hlau nplaum muaj nyob rau hauv lub xyoo pua 18th, tab sis cov txheej txheem ntawm kev ua cov ntaub ntawv muaj zog tau qeeb mus txog rau thaum xyoo 1920, thaum Alnico tau tsim. Qhov no tau ua raws li Ferrite nyob rau xyoo 1950 thiab Rare Earth hlau nplaum (tsis tshua muaj lub ntiaj teb hlau nplaum suav nrog NdFeB thiab Samarium cobalt (SmCo)) hauv xyoo 1970. Txij thaum ntawd los, magnetic technology tau tsim sai heev, thiab cov khoom siv hlau nplaum muaj zog tau ua cov khoom me me.
Lub ntiaj teb nws tus kheej muaj qhov sib nqus zoo heev, yog li tib neeg muaj kev hloov pauv thiab txawm tias nyob ntawm thaj chaw sib nqus. Kev sib nqus tsis muaj zog thiab ruaj khov yog qhov zoo rau lub cev, thiab kev kho cov hlau nplaum feem ntau yog siv hauv tshuaj. Electromagnetic nthwv dej, ntawm qhov tod tes, yog cov nthwv dej siab uas nws cov zaus tuaj yeem muaj kev cuam tshuam tsis zoo rau lub cev. Yog li cov hlau nplaum tsis muaj teeb meem rau tib neeg.
