Demagnetizing field
![Illustration of the magnetic charges at the surface of a single-domain ferromagnet. The arrows indicate the direction of magnetization. The thickness of the colored region indicates the surface charge density.](/Images/godic/202502/13/SingleDomainMagneticCharges.svg2901.png")
![Illustration of a magnet with four magnetic closure domains. The magnetic charges contributed by each domain are pictured at one domain wall. The charges balance, so the total charge is zero.](/Images/godic/202502/13/ClosureDomainDemo.svg2902.png")
The demagnetizing field, also called the stray field, is the magnetic field (H-field) generated by the magnetization in a magnet. The total magnetic field in a region containing magnets is the sum of the demagnetizing fields of the magnets and the magnetic field due to any free currents or displacement currents. The term demagnetizing field reflects its tendency to act on the magnetization so as to reduce the total magnetic moment. It gives rise to shape anisotropy in ferromagnets with a single magnetic domain and to magnetic domains in larger ferromagnets.