The magnetic metals are iron, steel, cobalt and nickel. Steel is an alloy made mainly from iron. A magnet made from one of these materials can be either permanent or temporary, depending on how easily the material keeps its magnetism.
A permanent magnet keeps its magnetism for a very long time. Steel is used for permanent magnets because it is a hard magnetic material that does not easily lose its magnetism. Uses include fridge door seals, compass needles, door catches and loudspeakers. Alloys containing cobalt and nickel can make very strong permanent magnets.
A temporary magnet is only a magnet while it is in a magnetic field, and loses its magnetism easily. Iron is a soft magnetic material, so it makes a temporary magnet. This is useful when the magnetism has to be switched on and off. An electromagnet has an iron core, and a crane in a scrapyard uses an electromagnet to pick up scrap iron and then drop it again when the current is switched off.