Is Cobalt Magnetic? (ANSWERED)

Yes, cobalt is magnetic.

This article will explain, as well as give you an in depth look at Cobalt, what it looks like, where it came from and what it’s used for.

Is Cobalt Magnetic? (ANSWERED)

Introduction

In the world of science, there are millions of explanations as to why and how an object reacts the way it does.

One such magnificent yet puzzling occurrence is magnetism.

Beautiful blue cobalt is a chemical element metal structure that contains iron and exhibits strong magnetism.

What Is Cobalt?

The name cobalt was derived from the German word ‘kobald’, meaning goblin.

Ancient civilizations discovered the artistic potential of cobalt without education on what metal they were using.

In 1361 BC, the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen contained a small glass object colored with deep blue cobalt.

Even earlier, Cobalt salts and glazes were used to decorate ancient Chinese pottery with brilliant blue designs.

Raw cobalt appears silver, although it is mostly known for its distinctive brilliant blue varieties.

Cobalt is generally considered a by-product and is obtained by the reduction of nickel and copper mining and smelting.

Early on, in man’s search for useful metals, silver was discovered.

However, cobalt was often mistaken for silver, with unfortunate consequences.

Because when ‘fake silver’ was heated to 2.049.8F and melted down, toxic substances were often released, which were lethal when inhaled.

For centuries, cobalt has been well known throughout the entire world, although Cobalt was officially discovered and named by chemist Georg Brandt in 1739 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Now, it is culturally most popular in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to it being home to more than 50% of the world’s cobalt reserves.

Cobalt is also found on the world’s deep ocean sea floors.

Today, cobalt mines aren’t so abundant due to depletion over hundreds of years.

Still, as in ancient times, cobalt is used in pigments today.

About 30 percent of this lustrous blue pigment is produced annually to go to the ceramic, ink and paint industries.

Although, cobalt is primarily used in lithium batteries and in the manufacture of magnetic, high-strength and wear-resistant alloys.

Due to cobalt’s magnetic nature, designers are advised not to use this metal anywhere near credit cards, pacemakers, or other magnet-sensitive items.

Cobalt is also an active center of vitamin B12 and is an essential trace element for all animals.

Metaphysically, cobalt blue is said to evoke feelings of calmness and spirituality.

Cobalt is said to be powerful when working with the Throat Chakra.

It is believed to aid in communication from the heart to the head, allowing one to recognize and speak their highest truth.

What Does Magnetic Mean?

The term “magnetic” refers to any stone or substance that shows visible attraction to a magnet.

This is because magnetism is what categorizes the forces that attract certain materials to one another or reject them.

Generally speaking, magnetism is just one aspect of the combined electromagnetic force.

Within the world of natural elements, magnetic susceptibility is the scientific term for the degree to which a metal is attracted to or repelled by a magnetic field.

Magnetism arises from the spin and orbital motion of electrons or electric charges.

All things in this world are made up of tiny units called atoms. Each atom has electrons, which are particles that carry electrical charge.

Spinning like dreidels, the electrons circle the core, or nucleus, of an atom.

Their movement generates an electrical current and causes each electron to act as a microscopic magnet.

In most incidences, equal numbers of electrons spin in opposite directions, which cancels out their magnetism.

Although, some metals have electrons that are not paired with other electrons, the unpaired electrons are then free to align themselves with a magnetic field.

The result is magnetic attraction.

Metals that don’t show magnetic attraction don’t have many unpaired electrons and are considered inert or chemically inactive.

Cobalt retains its magnetism at temperatures of up to 2049.8 F (1,121 C).

With increasing temperature, the atoms in a cobalt vibrate more vigorously and eventually lose their magnetic alignment.

Why Is Cobalt Magnetic?

Magnetic materials are always made of metal, but not all metals are magnetic, for example, aluminum, copper, and gold.

For magnetic metals such as iron or cobalt, their degree of attraction can be noted as weak, moderate, or strong.

These metals can range in magnetic strength from being capable of lifting steel rods to barely turning the needle on a compass.

The magnetism that we most often encounter in metals is a certain kind of magnetism called ferromagnetic.

Ferromagnetic is the kind of magnetism associated with iron, such as a paper clip.

Paramagnetic is a much weaker form of magnetism due to only the presence of dissolved metals within a particular substance.

Paramagnetism’s attraction can a million times lower than Ferromagnetism.

Cobalt is similar to iron and nickel, and — like iron — it is ferromagnetic and can be made very magnetic.

As a result, some highly powered magnets are made from alloys of cobalt and aluminum or nickel.

In certain materials such as iron, cobalt, nickel, or iron oxide, magnetism is naturally present, and it works without any exterior help.

In other materials, the magnetizer effect is not so apparent, but it exists.

Because of this, Cobalt is far more magnetic than many other natural materials.

Once a specimen is established as magnetic, identification of the specimen becomes a rather routine exercise.

There are a few methods to help find out if a material is magnetic or inert.

Examples of these tests are, ballistic, magneto metric, electrodynamic, induction, bridge, potentiometer, wattmeter, calorimeter, neutron-diffraction, and resonance.

Metals can be separated from one type to another, and sometimes identified, simply by observing which response a metal shows when the magnetic field of an N52 grade neodymium magnet.

Magnetism has been scientifically proven since 1820 by Danish physicist and chemist, Hans Christian Ørsted.

Today, magnetism related to the many various metals such as cobalt, is continuously being studied for further understanding.