Are Magnets Attracted to Cotton?

Magnets are not attracted to cotton.

A magnet can react to a substance in one of three ways: it can be strongly attracted, weakly attracted or weakly repelled. Cotton falls into the last category; magnets are not attracted to it.

Ferromagnetics

Iron is ferromagnetic.

Some materials are magnetic, or more accurately ferromagnetic. Magnets are strongly attracted to ferromagnetic substances, which include iron metal, cobalt, nickel and some of their alloys.

Paramagnetics

Aluminum is paramagnetic.

Magnets are weakly attracted to paramagnetic materials. The magnetic response is much smaller than the response seen with ferromagnetics. Examples of paramagnetic material include elements like aluminum and manganese, as well as oxygen and crown glass.

Diamagnetics

Gold and quartz are both diamagnetic.

Diamagnetic materials show a very weak response away from (not toward) a magnet. Most substances are diamagnetic: gold, water, quartz and air are examples.

Cotton

Cotton, a natural fiber, is mostly cellulose.

The dry matter of cotton comprises up to 95 percent cellulose, and its fibers generally contain a small percentage of moisture; its other components are negligible. Both cellulose and water are diamagnetic, which means that cotton will very weakly repel magnets. However, it's impossible to detect this effect without scientific instruments.

References

• Iowa State University: NDT Resource Center: Diamagnetic, Paramagnetic, and Ferromagnetic Materials
• University of Missouri: Project Cotton: Chemical Composition of Cotton Fiber
• "Science and Technology of Advanced Materials"; Formation of Cellulose-Based Electrostatic Layer-by-Layer Films in a Magnetic Field; E.D. Cranston and D.G. Gray; May 5, 2006