- #1
gendou2
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Iron: Paramagnetic and Last Fusion Product
Iron seems to have many mysterious properties:
1. Strongest ferromagnetic rare Earth element.
2. Last stage of fusion in stars to yield positive energy.
3. Heaviest of the ten most abundant elements.
I can imagine how 2 and 3 are likely related.
What about 1?
Is there a reason why we might expect the end of the fusion chain to be ferromagnetic?
I should probably start by asking, what makes Iron ferromagnetic?
Is it some property of the outermost electron shell?
Thanks!
Iron seems to have many mysterious properties:
1. Strongest ferromagnetic rare Earth element.
2. Last stage of fusion in stars to yield positive energy.
3. Heaviest of the ten most abundant elements.
I can imagine how 2 and 3 are likely related.
What about 1?
Is there a reason why we might expect the end of the fusion chain to be ferromagnetic?
I should probably start by asking, what makes Iron ferromagnetic?
Is it some property of the outermost electron shell?
Thanks!
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