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ophecleide
Apr25-04, 05:29 PM
Can a single atom of a ferromagnetic material display properties of ferromagnetism? In other words, is an iron atom affected by magnetic fields the same way a chunk of iron is? In other other words, does a single atom of a ferromagnetic material still have a net magnetic dipole moment, or is this an emergent property of many atoms together?
Can a single atom of a ferromagnetic material display properties of ferromagnetism?
No. Ferromagnetism is a collective effect where individual atoms try to line up with their magnetic moments in the same direction.
In other words, is an iron atom affected by magnetic fields the same way a chunk of iron is?
Yes, an iron atom is a tiny magnet, but so are other non-ferromagnetic atoms.
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