Question

Is Gold a magnetic material?

Answer 1

Hint: Materials which are attracted to magnets or materials which upon being introduced to a magnetic field shows attractive property toward the source of the magnetic field is known as magnetic materials. Metals are the only type of materials which are magnetic in real sense i.e. they are attracted to magnets irrespective of their size.

Complete Step by Step Solution:
Gold is a non-magnetic material, as it is not attracted to a magnet in its normal solid state. Only when a very powerful magnetic field is introduced to a gold particle, it may show some amount of attraction but at an atomic level. Hence, it is safe to say that as a matter or as a material Gold is non-magnetic in nature. It is important to note that all magnetic materials are metals but all metals are not magnetic materials.
Iron is an excellent example of magnetic material and so all of its alloys like steel etc are magnetic in nature.
Additional Information:
Mineral magnets or rocks having a magnetic field were popularly called lodestone in the old times. Later these lodestones came to be known as magnets.
Magnetic compounds are categorised into three classes based on their magnetic properties: diamagnetic, ferromagnetic, and paramagnetic.
A. Substances which are magnetised weakly when placed in an external magnetic field in a direction that is opposite to the applied field are known as diamagnetic substances.
B. Substances that get magnetised strongly in an external magnetic field in a direction which is the same as the direction of the externally applied field are known as ferromagnetic substances.
C. Substances that get magnetised weakly when placed in an external magnetic field in the same direction as the direction of the externally applied field are known as paramagnetic substances.

Note: Normally the gold we wear is not pure gold, it is gold mixed with silver or other metallic impurities. Pure gold will never get attracted to a magnet but gold mixed with iron will.