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Name: Alexander
Status: student
Age: 20s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 12/10/2002
Question:
Is there anything that works opposite of a magnet? Instead of attracting metal, it repels it?

Replies:
Not sure what you are driving at, but like poles of a magnet repel as do like electrical charges.

Vince Calder

Alexander,

Diamagnetism is almost what you are looking for, but not quite. There are a no materials that repel all metals, but there are some materials that repel all magnets. Some of these are: copper, lead, mercury, nitrogen, sodium chloride, water. Most materials are paramagnetic. They become magnetized the same direction as the magnet that comes near. This results in attraction. A diamagnetic material becomes magnetized backwards from the approaching magnet. The diamagnetic material and the magnet repel each other.

Dr. Ken Mellendorf
Physics Instructor
Illinois Central College


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