Bismuth is an unusual element that we don't encounter much in everyday life. But this pretty, iridescent metal, found near the bottom of the periodic table, exhibits some extraordinary properties. Magnetic levitation — bismuth's ability to seemingly float between two magnets — is perhaps one of the most interesting. The repulsion between bismuth and the magnets is so strong, it causes the metal to levitate.
But why is bismuth so strongly repelled from magnets?
