Does ferrous actually mean magnetic? I always thought it meant containing iron? How could Nickel and Cobalt be ferrous if they are elements and not alloys?

  • CommanderCloon@lemmy.ml
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    2 days ago

    They’re not considered ferrous because they don’t contain iron, if they’re considered ferrous in some domain then I suppose it’s a jargon use of the term specific to that domain

    Edit: it could also be a confusion with ferromagnetism. Ferrous means “that which contains iron” (from Latin ferrum meaning iron), ferromagnetic is that which is magnetic like iron (there are other kinds of magnetism)