Ferromagnetic materials

When buying a magnet, you might wonder what materials will react to it. Many people think that any type of metal will be attracted by the magnet, but this unfortunately isn’t the case. Magnets will create a reaction when brought close to magnetic or ferromagnetic materials. Magnetic materials can either be attracted or repulsed by a magnet (depending on the position of the poles), being magnets themselves.  Ferromagnetic materials are attracted by magnets but not repulsed. They also won’t attract one another. 

The most common ferromagnetic materials are made from nickel, iron, cobalt or an alloy containing one of those three. With alloys, the percentage of nickel, iron or cobalt it contains will dictate how ferromagnetic it is, so make sure you pick the right material to properly interact with your magnet.