Everything has ferromagnetic properties (?)

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the magnetic properties of various materials, specifically whether all materials can be attracted by a magnetic field if the field is strong enough. Participants explore concepts such as magnetic susceptibility, types of magnetism, and the behavior of specific materials like copper in strong magnetic fields.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions if every material can be attracted by a magnetic field given sufficient strength.
  • Another participant seeks clarification on the term for a numerical description of a material's magnetism, suggesting 'coefficient of magnetism' might be relevant.
  • Magnetic susceptibility is proposed as the relevant quantity for materials with weak magnetism, with distinctions made between paramagnetic and diamagnetic materials.
  • It is noted that not all materials are attracted to a magnetic field; some may be repelled, and weak attraction does not imply ferromagnetism.
  • A participant raises a question about the behavior of copper in a strong magnetic field, asking whether it would be repelled or attracted and how strong the field would need to be for significant interaction.
  • Another participant suggests that the required magnetic field strength to affect copper significantly would likely be higher than what can be reasonably produced, emphasizing the role of field strength and gradient.
  • Clarification is provided that copper is not a magnetic insulator in the context of static magnetic fields, and its interaction with magnets is influenced by its thickness.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether all materials can be attracted by a magnetic field, and there are competing views regarding the behavior of specific materials like copper in strong magnetic fields.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in understanding the conditions under which materials interact with magnetic fields, including the need for specific parameters such as field strength and material dimensions.

SAZAR
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Is it true that every material can be attracted by a magnetic field provided that the magnetic field is STRONG enough?
 
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Actually I was asking about a table that describes how magnetic the material is in numbers. (how is it called? 'coefficient of magnetism'?? or what?)

Something like:
sulfur | 0.0000000000145
phosphorus | 0.0000000346
and so on :D
 
Try magnetic susceptibility. This is the quantity that may be what you need, for materials with weak magnetism:
- paramagnetic - weakly attracted by a strong magnet
- diamagnetic - weakly repelled

For ferromagnetic materials the susceptibility or permeability may give some information.

So no, not any material is attracted. It may be repelled.
And when is weakly attracted does not mean it is ferromagnetic.
 
nasu said:
Try magnetic susceptibility. This is the quantity that may be what you need, for materials with weak magnetism:
- paramagnetic - weakly attracted by a strong magnet
- diamagnetic - weakly repelled

For ferromagnetic materials the susceptibility or permeability may give some information.

So no, not any material is attracted. It may be repelled.
And when is weakly attracted does not mean it is ferromagnetic.

Hmmm... As an extreme example: copper is an element known as a great magnetic "insulator", but if a strong enough magnetic field would be applied - would it be repelled or attracted?
(And how strong a magnetic field must be in order to affect it just as strong as two magnets interact? (e.g. for comparison: how much times stronger than neodymium magnet?))

PS: Actually now that I checked it out I see that copper is diamagnetc (it would be repelled - right?) - so only that other question remains: how strong a magnetic field must be to interact with it as strong as two magnets would?
 
Last edited:
This is a very vague question. Even for a more specific one (given the expected force, the size and shape of material) it would be nontrivial.
My guess though is that it will be higher than anything you can reasonably produce, at least for copper. Besides, the force on a induced dipole depends on both field strength and gradient of the field.

Note. Copper is not really a magnetic insulator. A static magnetic field will go through it. Try to put a sheet of copper between two magnets. The main effect in reducing attraction will be the increase in separation due to the thickness of the copper.
A copper sheet or box may provide good insulation against variable electromagnetic fields and/or static electric fields.
 

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