Steel is preferred to soft iron for making permanent magnets because,

Step-by-step solution

Permanent magnets are materials that retain their magnetic properties even after the external magnetizing field is removed. This property is known as retentivity. For a material to be a good permanent magnet, it must have high retentivity and high coercivity. High coercivity ensures that the magnetic state is not easily destroyed by external magnetic fields, temperature fluctuations, or mechanical vibrations. Soft iron has high permeability and low coercivity, making it ideal for electromagnets where the magnetic f