Bismuth is so strongly repelled from magnets, it levitates. How?

[Judi Lynn]

By Victoria Atkinson
published March 23, 2024

The element bismuth can "float" between magnets due to magnetic levitation. What's the science behind this phenomenon?



Mineral bismuth close-up, full size image above 4K.
Bismuth is an iridescent metal that can seemingly float between two magnets, a phenomenon known as "magnetic levitation." (Image credit: ProteanVisuals via Getty Images)

​​Bismuth is an unusual element that we don't encounter much in everyday life. But this pretty, iridescent metal, found near the bottom of the periodic table, exhibits some extraordinary properties. Magnetic levitation — bismuth's ability to seemingly float between two magnets — is perhaps one of the most interesting. The repulsion between bismuth and the magnets is so strong, it causes the metal to levitate.

But why is bismuth so strongly repelled from magnets?

According to Eric Riesel, a magnetic materials chemist at MIT, the answer comes down to the type of magnetism exhibited by bismuth. Every material has magnetic properties, determined by a quantum property of the element's electrons known as spin. But, this spin can only point in two directions — up or down — and the combination of all the spins in a material define exactly what type of magnetism the element will exhibit.

"Most people are familiar with ferromagnets (permanent magnets) like iron, where the spins are all aligned with each other, but there are also anti-ferromagnets where the spins are pointed in opposite directions to each other," Riesel told Live Science.

However, there's also another pair of magnetic categories: paramagnetism and diamagnetism. "In paramagnets, when you apply a magnetic field, spins in that material will align with the field in proportion to its strength," he said. "Diamagnets apply a force in the opposite direction to the field, repelling it."

More:
https://www.livescience.com/chemistry/bismuth-is-so-strongly-repelled-from-magnets-it-levitates-how







Mind your own Bismuth.