• Question: Why are most metals not magnetic?

    Asked by spursboy118 to Faye, Martin, Mus, Pete on 5 May 2012.
    • Photo: Pete Etchells

      Pete Etchells answered on 5 May 2012:

      Actually, all atoms are magnetic, because they have charges moving around in them. For something to be magnetic, the magnetic fields of the atoms that it’s made up of have to all be aligned to create a larger magnetic field. In some substances, the atoms are held together too rigidly to allow their magnetic fields to move around and line up with each other though, so overall they have no magnetic field.

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