On Oct 22, 2004, at 8:21 AM, Olin Lathrop wrote:

> Even a "permanent magnet" creates its static magnetic field in this 
> way.  In
> this case the electric currents are the electrons spinning around the 
> atoms
> of the material.  Each electron going around in a circle creates a 
> magnetic
> field at right angles to the plane of the circle.

Except of course that electrons don't actually spin around atoms in
anything resembling a circle :-(  I though permanent magnetism was a
result of the electon spins on their own axis, with magnetic materials
being the ones that encourage stable states where the majority of the
electronics are inclined to spin in a particular orientation...  (but
my memory is rusty...)

BillW

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