Which materials are classified as ferromagnetic?

Ferromagnetic materials are those that have a strong magnetic response to an external magnetic field and can be permanently magnetized. The most well-known ferromagnetic materials are iron, cobalt, and nickel. These metals exhibit properties such as high permeability and the ability to retain their magnetism, making them essential for a wide range of applications, including electric motors, transformers, and magnetic storage media.

Iron is the most widely recognized of these materials and forms the basis for many magnetic devices. Cobalt and nickel also share similar properties, allowing them to be used in specialized applications where strong magnetic fields are required. The ability of these elements to align their atomic magnetic moments in the presence of a magnetic field is what categorizes them as ferromagnetic.

The other materials listed—aluminum, copper, silver, gold, platinum, lead, zinc, and tin—do not exhibit ferromagnetism to any significant degree. While some may interact weakly with magnetic fields, they do not have the strong magnetization properties that characterize ferromagnetic materials. Thus, iron, cobalt, and nickel stand out as the primary examples of ferromagnetic materials.