Electrons in Magnetism

• Magnets work because they are surrounded by magnetic fields. A magnetic field is simply the movement of electrons. As electrons become more excited, the strength of the magnetic field increases. The excitement in the electrons comes from the movement of electrons from one orbit path around an atom to another orbit path in the same atom. The metals that are more attracted to magnets have fewer paired electrons (two electrons moving along the same orbit path) orbiting the atom. The more unpaired electrons moving around the orbit path of the atom creates magnetic force in the metal at the atomic level. In the theory of magnetism, every magnetically attracted element must have three or more of these unpaired electrons orbiting the atom.
  
  

Attraction and Repulsion

• All magnets attract and repel certain materials. Some materials are more attracted to a magnet than others. For example, the most magnetically attracted materials are steel, iron, nickel, cobalt and gadolinium. To test the amount of magnetic attraction in steel, place a screw driver next to a bar or horseshoe magnet, and observe how readily the head of the screwdriver moves toward the magnet. Pour liquid oxygen on a flat surface, however, and observe that the liquid is attracted just a little bit to the magnet. The materials that move away from a magnet are carbon and boron. Water is also repelled by magnets, but only slightly. The attractive and repulsive force of a magnet is strongest at the north and south poles. These poles attract the opposite polarity (positive attracts negative, and vise versa), and repel the same polarity. Place two magnets pole to pole and if they attract you have the opposite poles aligned. If the poles repel each other, then you have the same poles on both magnets facing each other.
  
  

Movement of Magnetic Force

• The force in a magnet moves in a loop. Magnetic force exits the magnet from the north pole. The same magnetic force reenters the magnet through the south pole. This cycle of exiting and reentering the magnet continues indefinitely. Free-moving magnets follow the polarity of Earth's magnetic poles. This means that a compass needle (which is a magnet) always points to the poles. The south pole of the compass points to Earth's north pole, while the north pole of the compass points to Earth's south pole. If a compass is near another magnet, then the compass will point toward the part of the other magnet that is of the opposite polarity.