Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: jolly on 24/02/2007 21:02:32

Title: Other than iron, which elements are magnetic
Post by: jolly on 24/02/2007 21:02:32

Can the atoms of any elements other than iron have a magnetic field? If so, which other elements? 

Title: Re: Other than iron, which elements are magnetic
Post by: Bored chemist on 25/02/2007 14:00:02

Roughly half the atoms in the periodic table have a magnetic field (even more if you include nuclear magnetism). What's special about iron is the way those fields interact in the solid.
Nickel, cobalt and gadolinium will stick to a magnet like iron does.

Title: Re: Other than iron, which elements are magnetic
Post by: Bored chemist on 25/02/2007 20:46:11

Just for a start, as I said the fact that iron sticks to a magnet is to do with the interaction between the atoms rather than the atoms themselves.

Title: Re: Other than iron, which elements are magnetic
Post by: jolly on 27/02/2007 20:45:09

Who said anything about Iron? You have missed the point I was making.

Title: Re: Other than iron, which elements are magnetic
Post by: rosy on 27/02/2007 21:13:02

Actually, atoms don't have less magnetic field if they're hot. The only reason iron (and other ferromagnets, which means materials with similar magnetic properties to iron) has magnetism as we understand it on the scale we can observe is that the tiny magnetic field of each atom is lined up with its neighbours to form a much bigger magnet *and then stays put*, many atoms with magnetic properties don't align at room temperature. More different types of atom are aligned at lower temperatures, and fewer at higher temperatures, but that's not the same as the magnetism not being there on the atomic scale... that's permanent (tho' it varies depending on the chemical form, only some compounds, and very few molecules have any magnetic properties, in this sense, at all).

Title: Re: Other than iron, which elements are magnetic
Post by: jolly on 28/02/2007 23:24:32

I said like iron (as with) not iron itself. hello (other than)

do not concentrate on the finger for you will miss all the heavenly glory!!!! BRUCE LEE 'ENTER THE DRAGON' if you've seen it.

Title: Re: Other than iron, which elements are magnetic
Post by: another_someone on 01/03/2007 03:44:59

Is this to imply that iron is not like iron?

If it is like iron, then most people would assume that to imply that anything that is true for it should also be true for iron, and visa versa, for otherwise it would not be like iron.

Title: Re: Other than iron, which elements are magnetic
Post by: Bored chemist on 01/03/2007 20:23:19

Thanks for the enlightenment regarding you getting the finger. Please let us know what your original point was. Come to think of it, a quick google search might save everyone some trouble. This is probably a good start.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetism

"Is this to imply that iron is not like iron?" Is logic like that aplauded by the sound of one hand clapping? (Quote from Koan the barbarian)