How do magnets pull things if magnetic forces are incapable of doing work?

[Raziel2701]

When a magnet pulls a paperclip, what exactly is doing work on the paperclip? It cannot be a magnetic force can it? I thought it was a very strong statement that I read in my intro physics book and even Griffiths(pg. 207) that magnetic forces do no work. So what is responsible for accelerating a paperclip towards a magnet?

Is it something related to the changing magnetic flux? Is there an electric field somewhere doing the work?

Thanks.

 

[Vorde]

Try reading this, ask if you still have questions afterwards:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=170447

 

[Raziel2701]

I think the guy on the second part of the thread who's touching on spin was getting closer to the point of my question. I still don't know what's responsible for the work we see when a paperclip gets pulled in by a magnet.

 

[mfb]

With magnetic fields, you always have charges which move in some way (spin is similar to a movement in that respect). Moving charges in magnetic fields are equivalent to stationary charges in a field which has an electric component.