Calculate the orbital and spin magnetic moments of an atom using quantum numbers.
Quantum Numbers
Results
Enter quantum numbers S, L, and J
Note: |L - S| ≤ J ≤ L + S
About this calculator
Overview
Atomic magnetic moments arise from the intrinsic spin of electrons and their orbital motion around the nucleus. This calculator determines the total magnetic moment using the Landé g-factor and the total angular momentum quantum number.
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Pro Tips
The total angular momentum J must satisfy the triangular inequality: |L - S| ≤ J ≤ L + S.
The result is typically expressed in units of Bohr magnetons (μB).
For most ions in the first transition series (3d), the orbital contribution is 'quenched', and the spin-only formula is often used.
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Fun Facts
"One Bohr magneton is equivalent to the magnetic moment of an electron's orbital motion in the ground state of a hydrogen atom."
"In many materials, the magnetic moments of individual atoms cancel each other out, resulting in no net magnetism (diamagnetism or paramagnetism)."
"Ferromagnetism occurs when these atomic magnetic moments align spontaneously in a single direction."
