Why isn’t stainless steel attracted to a magnet? Stainless steel contains a high amount of iron. Isn’t that enough to make it attracted to a magnet?
In: Chemistry
It isn’t the chemicals (types of atoms) the material is made of that makes it magnetic, it is a function of the types of microscopic structures those atoms form. Pure iron forms structures which can be magnetized at room temperature, but when you add extra elements, it can change the types of structures formed, and make the metal non-magnetic even if it is still mostly iron.
The opposite can also be true. Some chemicals which are generally not thought of as magnetic can become magnetic if they are mixed together in the right way.
Also interesting is that while iron is magnetic at room temperature, if you heat it hot enough, the shape of the internal structures changes, and iron looses its magnetism until it cools back down again. Blacksmiths use this as a way to estimate the temperature of a hot piece of metal.
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