Is it possible to magnetize anything? The short answer is no. Only certain materials have the ability to become magnetized in the presence of a magnetic field and retain that magnetism when the field is removed. These materials are known as ferromagnetic materials, and they include iron, cobalt, and nickel.
Ferromagnetic materials have unique atomic and molecular structures that allow them to exhibit magnetic properties. This is due to the alignment of the magnetic moments of their atoms or ions. When placed in a magnetic field, the magnetic moments align in the same direction, resulting in a net magnetic field within the material. This alignment creates a magnetized state.
Once magnetized, ferromagnetic materials can retain their magnetism even when the external magnetic field is removed. This is known as permanent magnetization. The ability of these materials to retain magnetism is due to the presence of magnetic domains within the material.
Magnetic domains are regions within the material where the atomic or molecular magnetic moments are aligned in a specific direction. In an unmagnetized state, these domains are randomly oriented, resulting in a net magnetic field of zero. When a magnetic field is applied, the magnetic moments within the domains align with the external field, causing the domains to grow and align in the same direction. This alignment leads to the material becoming magnetized.
However, not all materials have the necessary atomic or molecular structure to exhibit ferromagnetic behavior. Materials such as wood, plastic, glass, and most non-metals do not possess the required properties to become magnetized. These materials are known as non-magnetic or diamagnetic materials. Diamagnetic materials have all their atomic or molecular magnetic moments cancel each other out, resulting in no net magnetic field within the material.
In addition to ferromagnetic and non-magnetic materials, there is another category known as paramagnetic materials. Paramagnetic materials, like aluminum and oxygen, do not possess permanent magnetization but can be weakly attracted to a magnetic field. This attraction is due to the alignment of the atomic or molecular magnetic moments with the external magnetic field, but it is not strong enough to retain magnetism when the field is removed.
To summarize, only select materials with specific atomic or molecular structures, such as iron, cobalt, and nickel, can become magnetized in the presence of a magnetic field and retain that magnetism in the absence of the field. These ferromagnetic materials have the ability to align their magnetic moments, creating a net magnetic field within the material. Other materials, such as non-magnetic and paramagnetic materials, do not possess the necessary properties to exhibit permanent magnetization.