Robert Homeier, age 12, of Crown Point, Indiana, for his question;

Why isn't every bit of metal a magnet?

One good question leads to another. The mystery of magnetism led down to secrets inside the tiny atom and on out to mighty forces that span the universe.  This probing took several centuries    and we still don't know all there is to know abort magnetism. But along the way we have learned a few facts that may explain why some metals are magnets and others are not.

The key to this problem is the relationship between magnetism and electricity. A mag¬netic field is created around an electric current    and electricity is the motion of negatively charged electrons. The secret of a magnet takes us right down to the tiny elec¬tron particles that swarm about the nucleus of the atom. Each one creates a tiny breeze of electricity and a tiny magnetic field to match it.

A basic feature of every magnet is its two opposite poles. These are present, even in the magnetic field of a spinning electron inside a tiny atom. True, the forces exerted by one such electron amount to almost nothing. But when zillions of electrons exert their forces as a team, they create an invisible magnetic field that extends outside the atoms of the solid metal.

The basic problem looks like a simple matter of organization. We know that iron, nickel and certain other metals can be magnetized. It seems logical to expect all metals to be magnets. But the basic problem is not nearly as simple as it looks. Think of organizing every living person to march in perfect step around the globe.

In most metals the electrons spin in various directions and are quite set in their ways. Their paths are tilted in assorted directions and their poles cancel each other. Creating teamwork out of this chaotic disorganization requires re arranging astronomical numbers of swarming electrons. It is possible to magnetize a piece of iron only because many of its electrons already are headed in the same direction.

In fact, teams of iron atoms tend to congregate in groups called domains. Each domain contains about 1,000 million million atoms with most of their electrons spinning in the same direction. However, it is no bigger than a pinhead. And scattered throughout the metal are other domains tilted this way and that way. The iron becomes a magnet only when most of its domains are lined up with their poles pointing in the same directions.

Then the magnetic force of zillions of spinning electrons is teamed up to extend a magnetic field outside the metal.

The creation of a magnet involves the organization of so many small particles that it seems impossible. In most metals it would mean re arranging countless electrons set on spinning in different directions. But in iron, nickel and a few other metals, many of the electrons already form teams spinning in harmony. These metals are called dipoles because their built in qualities tend to form two opposite magnetic poles.