Iron, cobalt and nickel hold a special place in the world of magnetism. These are the three elemental metals that exhibit strong ferromagnetism at room temperature, meaning their atomic magnetic moments can align and produce a strong, persistent magnetisation.
Their magnetic behaviour comes from the cooperative alignment of electron spins within the material. This property makes them essential in magnets, motors, electrical equipment and many other technologies.
Interestingly, magnetism is not exclusive to these three elements: other materials can also be magnetic through different mechanisms, while certain elements can become ferromagnetic under specific conditions.
