Atoms in unmagnetic objects look like:

Atoms in unmagnetic objects look like:

• A. Their atomic poles point in random directions, cancelling each other out
• B. They align in a uniform direction
• C. They are completely free of poles
• D. They all point to the same pole

Answer: (A)

In any unmagnetized object, the tiny magnetic moments of many atoms are oriented randomly. Thermal energy keeps these moments pointing in all directions, so when you look at the whole material, the individual moments cancel each other out and there’s no net magnetic field. If all the moments happened to line up in the same direction, you’d get a magnetized object with a net magnetic field. They’re not completely free of magnetic moments, and they aren’t all pointing to one pole—that would require a uniform global alignment that doesn’t occur without an external influence.

In any unmagnetized object, the tiny magnetic moments of many atoms are oriented randomly. Thermal energy keeps these moments pointing in all directions, so when you look at the whole material, the individual moments cancel each other out and there’s no net magnetic field. If all the moments happened to line up in the same direction, you’d get a magnetized object with a net magnetic field. They’re not completely free of magnetic moments, and they aren’t all pointing to one pole—that would require a uniform global alignment that doesn’t occur without an external influence.