Why dont magnets attract copper.?

Answer 1

You are correct, magnets don't attract copper, they repel copper!

Yes, there is a repulsive force, but it is so small it would be difficult to measure.

All materials have a magnetic response. There are 3 categories:
1) Paramagnetic 2) Diamagnetic 3) Ferromagnetic

1) & 2) are weak forces and opposite in direction, and 3) is a strong force.

Copper is diamagnetic. Copper has one important magnetic effect that I'm aware of. Ultra low temperature refrigerators are built by the demagnetization of copper wires, called a nuclear demag rig. These refrig's can cool from 1 deg. K to 0.001 deg. K.

Answer 2

All matter is magnetic, but some materials are much more magnetic than others. The main distinction is that in some materials (like copper) there is no collective interaction of atomic magnetic moments, whereas in other materials there is a very strong interaction between atomic moments. It has to do with the properties of the material- orbitals and electron spin.

Answer 3

HI, here,that is good question,I think copper never attract by magnet,,the question is that y and how magnatism arise,we know electron not only revolving around nuclues but also have spin motion,due to both spin and arbital motion magnatism arises,for magnatism there should be unpair electron,,like Fe+3 have unpair electron,also oxygen(O2),although copper belong to transition element having unpair electron,but ordaniry condition copper does not behave as magnet,,,,
thxxx,may be my explaination is wrong,but hope u will some what satisfied

Answer 4

Because there are two types of metals when it comes to megnatism. FERRO-MAGNETIC and NON-FERRO-MAGNETIC. Unfortunately copper is a non ferro-magnetic material.

Lets me explain it in better details, ferro-magnetic materials (Iron, steel, negel, cobal) have these so-called dipoles inside them. when a magnet is put near them these dipoles are forced to look away from the N-pole of the magnet or towards the S-pole. Copper doesnt have dipoles.

DIPOLES: ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipoles )
A dipole (Greek: di(s) = double and polos = pivot) is a pair of electric charges or magnetic poles of equal magnitude but opposite polarity (opposite electronic charges), separated by some, usually small, distance . Dipoles can be characterized by their dipole moment, a vector quantity with a magnitude equal to the product of the charge or magnetic strength of one of the poles and the distance separating the two poles. The direction of the dipole moment corresponds, for electric dipoles, to the direction from the negative to the positive charge. For magnetic dipoles, the dipole moment points from the magnetic south to the magnetic north pole — confusingly, the "north" and "south" convention for magnetic dipoles is the opposite of that used to describe the Earth's geographic and magnetic poles, so that the Earth's geomagnetic north pole is the south pole of its dipole moment. The only known mechanisms for the creation of magnetic dipoles are by current loops or quantum-mechanical spin since the existence of magnetic monopoles has never been experimentally demonstrated.

Answer 5

Because copper does not have magnetic permeability. There are no dipoles in copper to align with a magnetic field. µ metals are such metals that have dipoles and will align. Iron, steel, nickel, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permeability_%28electromagnetism%29

Answer 6

There are three ferromagnetic metals, also called magnetic dipoles. These are nickle, iron, and cobalt. If a metal contains none of these it is non magnetic.

Answer 7

Because copper is a "pure" metal....ie: contains no iron.....also "pure" silver and "pure" gold dont either.....no "pure" metal will attract, or be attracted to a magnet.....HOWEVER i could be wrong......

Answer 8

Because copper isn't magnetic!

Why don't magnets attract gold, alluminium, brass. gunmetal, diamonds, pillocks?

Answer 9

copper doesn't have iron

Answer 10

i don't know! a good question