Most substances are composed of molecules, which are made up of atoms, and atoms consist of atomic nuclei and electrons. Inside an atom, electrons rotate continuously and orbit around the atomic nucleus. Both of these movements produce magnetism. However, in most substances, the directions of electron movements are different and chaotic, causing the magnetic effects to cancel each other out. Therefore, most substances do not exhibit magnetism under normal conditions.

Iron, cobalt, nickel, or ferrites, among other ferromagnetic materials, differ in that their internal electron spins can spontaneously align within a small range, forming a spontaneously magnetized region known as a magnetic domain.

When ferromagnetic materials are magnetized, the magnetic domains align neatly and uniformly, enhancing the magnetic properties, thereby forming a magnet. The process of a magnet attracting iron is the magnetization of the iron block, where magnetized iron and the magnet's opposite poles generate an attractive force, causing the iron block to adhere firmly to the magnet. We then say that the magnet has magnetic properties.