Difference between magnetic materials
I was wondering what were the differences between the different materials such as paramagnets, diamagnets, and ferromagnets?
Answer
All magnetic materials can become magnetized because their magnetic dipoles align, but each type of material has a different mechanism for accomplishing this.
Paramagnets and diamagnets are much weaker than ferromagnets. Paramagnetism occurs when a material has unpaired electrons in its outer orbitals. Electrons are small magnetic dipoles because of their angular momentum in their orbitals. If you introduce an external magnetic field, these electrons will align with the field. Diamagnetism occurs because an external field will change the speed of electrons in orbitals. This change creates a magnetic dipole opposite the direction of the applied field.
Only a few materials are ferromagnetic, meaning that they can stay magnetized even if no external field is present. These are "permanent magnets" because the dipoles tend to stay aligned and make for a strong magnet.
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All magnetic materials can become magnetized because their magnetic dipoles align, but each type of material has a different mechanism for accomplishing this.
Paramagnets and diamagnets are much weaker than ferromagnets. Paramagnetism occurs when a material has unpaired electrons in its outer orbitals. Electrons are small magnetic dipoles because of their angular momentum in their orbitals. If you introduce an external magnetic field, these electrons will align with the field. Diamagnetism occurs because an external field will change the speed of electrons in orbitals. This change creates a magnetic dipole opposite the direction of the applied field.
Only a few materials are ferromagnetic, meaning that they can stay magnetized even if no external field is present. These are "permanent magnets" because the dipoles tend to stay aligned and make for a strong magnet.