What makes an element magnetic?

Answer 1

In each atom electrons spin as well as orbit the nucleus. Moving electrons produce a magnetic field. This is their magnetic movement. If all the magnetic movements of the electrons of the atoms are lined up in the same direction then a magnet is produced.

The proximity of an external magnet will line up the magnetic moments. If there is no external magnetic movement then the moments are lined up in opposite directions and there is no overall magnet.

There are several forms of magnetism.

Diamagnetic substances have paired electrons so their magnetic moments are canceled by each other. These materials are weakly influenced by an external magnetic field, slightly repelled and once the external field is removed there is no lasting effect. Most substances are diamagnetic eg., paper, silver, copper

Paramagnetic substances are weakly attracted by an external magnet. They have some unpaired electrons. Once the external field is removed there is no lasting effect. Example magnesium

Ferromagnetic substances are the ones that we recognize as magnets. They have many unpaired electrons that can be lined up to spin in the same direction and when the external magnet is removed, ferromagnetic material can retain its magnetic properties. Iron, nickel and cobalt are ferromagnetic. They have a high magnetic permeability.

1. What is Magnetism?

Magnetism is a force of nature, like gravity. But it is quite different from gravity in many respects. Gravity is a force of attraction between all objects with mass. Matter can be defined as objects in the universe that have mass (size, any size). Therefore, all matter attracts other matter to it through gravity. Much of the fundamental matter in the Universe also has charge. Whereas there is only one kind of mass, there are two kinds of charge: positive or negative. Objects may contain equal numbers of positive and negative charges and therefore have no net charge overall. Objects with different charges will attract one another very much like how mass attracts mass through gravity. But objects with the same charge will repel one another. This force of attraction or repulsion due to charge is called the electromagnetic force. But what about magnetism, is there a fundamental property of some matter that makes things magnetic? The answer is: "sort of." Electric current is the source of magnetism. Electric current is charge in motion. Anywhere there is an electric current there is a magnetic force field present, just as anywhere there is charge there is an electric force field present, and anywhere there is mass there is a gravitational force field present. If an object has no net electric current flowing through it, {I have edited this part a bit} (meaning if it has no net charge because the negatively charged particles are as numerous as the positively charged particles so they cancel each other out,) there will be no magnetic field overall.

2. Why are some objects magnetic and others are not?

For a macroscopic object made of atoms to be a magnet, the atoms in it have to align with each other {edit} (and the atoms have to be either positively charged or negatively charged, meaning the object has to have either more electrons than protons or vice versa). This will create a large scale magnetic field around the object. In order for the atoms to line up within the material, they have to be able to move freely. In many materials the atoms are held too rigidly in place to be able to line up with any external magnetic field (the field of the earth). If the atoms are randomly oriented (not lined up because they can't move cause they're too packed in there) then they will cancel each other out (regardless of how many electrons or protons there are) and the material will have no net magnetic field.

Answer 2

Honest answer is we don't know.

BUT

Best guess is that all the iron atoms line up and that all their electrons spin in the same direction.

We do know that a moving current will produce a magnetic field.

Answer 3

It's not the material it's whats in iron and cobalt makes materials magnetic

Answer 4

the domains which are facing north. they are all pushing to the top.

Answer 5

There are small things inside that makes it magnetic

Answer 6

The pairing of electrons and their dipoles. Basically metals with uneven electrons or half shells are magnetic.