I didn`t know wether this belonged in Chemistry or Physics, so I figured I`de put it here to be on the safe side

 

I`de like to know, what makes the elements, Manganese, Iron, Cobalt and Nickel so special in the way that they are the only elements that will stick to a magnet?

 

why not Copper or Silver for instance? and is the reason that they`re all side by side on the periodic table anything to do with it?

It's to do with the electron configuration, and transition elementy stuff.

It's to do with unpaired electrons in iron, nickel, cobalt. They kind of fly around an stuff until they are made to line up, then once they line up they cause a magnetic field to develope. They are lined up by magnatisum (magic ) .There are no unpaired electrons in Copper or Silver, so they cannot form a magnetic feild.

well I understand these elements as: Ar,4s,3d 5,6,7 and 8.

but I can`t work out why that makes them special towards magnets?

atinymonkey, Thnx man

that explains it perfectly! cheerz