what features of atomic structure determine whether an element is diamagnetic or paramagnetic?
In most atoms, electrons occur in pairs. Electrons in a pair spin in opposite directions. So, when electrons are paired together, their opposite spins cause their magnetic fields to cancel each other. Therefore, no net magnetic field exists. Alternately, materials with some unpaired electrons will have a net magnetic field and will react more to an external field. So most materials can be classified as diamagnetic, paramagnetic or .ferromagnetic.
