is it a metal that acts like a non-metal or other way around?
Magnetism has to do with unpaired electrons. Electrons spin clockwise or counter clockwise. Generally they are paired. When they are not they create magnetism. Iron has 3 unpaired electrons and demostrates tahe greatest magnetism. cobalt and nickle also demonstrate some magnetism. Also, some of the rare earths and some alloys such as Alnico and steel. RECENTLY, several papers have been published on the use of polarized light for revealing the grain structure of metals and alloys. Hone and Pearson1 showed that by examining under polarized light a polished aluminium surface which had been anodized in a suitable electrolyte, the grain structure was revealed, differently oriented grains appearing with different brightnesses. Woodward2, by etching 'Monel' metal in a specific reagent, has found similar effects. Polished surfaces of aluminium and 'Monel' metal, being optically isotropic, do not react to polarized light as do the optically anisotropic surfaces of tin, zinc, cadmium, etc., and the above authors1,2 have attributed the optical anisotropy of the anodized aluminium and etched 'Monel' metal to the anisotropic properties of the surface film formed during anodizing or etching. Although this explanation may be correct, there is a possible alternative which involves the surface contour of the specimen, for it is well known that if pearlite is examined under polarized light no reaction occurs unless the specimen is etched. This has been shown convincingly by Baeyertz3 to be due to the presence of fine parallel grooves on the surface, formed by etching away the ferrite and leaving the cementite lamell? in relief. Furthermore, Jones4 has shown that polarization effects can be produced by deeply etching a metal surface.
