What makes metals ferromagnetic

However, paramagnetism is also a very weak effect so we don't normally notice it in everyday life. When it comes to ferromagnetism, only very few elements are ferromagnetic, including iron, cobalt, and nickel. When people talk about magnetic materials, they usually mean ferromagnetic materials because that is the only type of magnetism easily observed in daily life.

When a permanent magnet sticks to a fridge, a paper-clip, or a pan, it is ferromagnetism at work. The original question was probably meant to be "Why are all metals ferromagnetic? In terms of objects readily found in a house, the ones that stick to a permanent magnet do so because they probably contain iron, nickel, or cobalt.

Considering that steel is such a common building material, and steel contains mostly iron, most of the magnetism experienced outside laboratories is due to iron.

In fact, this is where ferromagnetism gets its name. Not all domains must be aligned for magnetism to be achieved. Exposure to an electric current is another way to align magnetic domains. When two wires have an electric current running through them, there will be a magnetic attraction between them if the currents run in the same direction.

The wires will repel each other if their currents are in opposite directions. Earth is a magnet that is produced by electric currents in the planet's molten core, though National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists continue to search for the source of these currents.

Ferromagnetism is a phenomenon that occurs in some metals, most notably iron, cobalt and nickel, that causes the metal to become magnetic. The atoms in these metals have an unpaired electron, and when the metal is exposed to a sufficiently strong magnetic field, these electrons' spins line up parallel to each other.

This is why iron cores are used in electromagnet solenoids and transformer windings. The electric current creates a magnetic field that is amplified by the iron core's induced magnetism.

Materials remain magnetic at temperatures lower than the Curie temperature. This temperature is different for various metals and describes the point at which the long range order of magnetic domains disappears. The long range order is what holds the magnetic domains in a particular orientation.

Higher Curie temperatures mean that more energy is required to disorient a material's magnetic domains. When the temperature drops below the Curie temperature and the material is placed in a magnetic field, it will become magnetic again. Active 6 years, 5 months ago. Viewed times. Improve this question. Adam Adam 4 4 gold badges 10 10 silver badges 19 19 bronze badges.

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