5.5.2 - Paramagnetism
Enroll to start learning
You’ve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
Introduction to Paramagnetism
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Today we will explore paramagnetism! Can anyone tell me what happens to materials in an external magnetic field?
They get attracted to the magnet!
Exactly! But what's interesting is that paramagnetic materials actually become weakly magnetized. Who can explain why?
I think it’s because they have atomic dipoles that can align with the external field.
Great point! The atomic dipoles in paramagnetic substances do indeed align with the field, making the material slightly magnetic. Remember this: P for Paramagnetism means 'Positive response' to the magnetic field. Let's dive deeper into how temperature affects this alignment.
Behavior of Paramagnetic Materials
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
What happens to the magnetic alignment when temperature increases?
I think it decreases because higher temperatures cause more thermal motion.
Correct! Higher thermal energy can disrupt the alignment of dipoles, reducing net magnetization. So, what can we infer about the behavior of paramagnets as they reach saturation?
They will be fully aligned, but only if the temperature is low enough!
Excellent! Just remember: at low temperatures, alignment increases; at high temperatures, it decreases.
Applications and Examples of Paramagnetism
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Can anyone name some common paramagnetic materials?
I think aluminum is one!
What about oxygen?
Correct! Both aluminum and oxygen exhibit paramagnetism. We often use these properties in technology, such as in magnetic resonance imaging. Who remembers what the term 'susceptibility' means in this context?
Is it how easily a material can be magnetized?
Exactly! It's a crucial aspect of understanding different materials and how they behave in magnetic fields.
Introduction & Overview
Read summaries of the section's main ideas at different levels of detail.
Quick Overview
Standard
In paramagnetic materials, individual atomic or molecular dipole moments are present. Unlike diamagnetic substances, where magnetic moments cancel each other out, paramagnetic materials exhibit a net magnetization when exposed to an external magnetic field, showing a tendency to align with the field and thus enhancing its strength.
Detailed
Paramagnetism is characterized by materials that possess a permanent dipole moment at the atomic or molecular level. When an external magnetic field is applied, these moments tend to align in the direction of the field due to the thermal agitation being overcome at lower temperatures. The net magnetic moment becomes non-zero as the material's atomic dipoles align, leading to a slight attraction towards the source of the magnetic field. Despite this behavior, the induced magnetization is weak compared to ferromagnetic materials and the effect subsides when the external field is removed. Common examples include aluminum, and oxygen at standard temperatures, and the susceptibility factor indicates a positive but typically small value, reflecting the weak strength of the magnetization.
Youtube Videos
Audio Book
Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.
Introduction to Paramagnetism
Chapter 1 of 5
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
Paramagnetic substances are those which get weakly magnetised when placed in an external magnetic field. They have a tendency to move from a region of weak magnetic field to strong magnetic field, i.e., they get weakly attracted to a magnet.
Detailed Explanation
Paramagnetic materials exhibit a weak form of magnetism. When they are exposed to an external magnetic field, they experience a slight magnetization. This means that paramagnetic substances will align themselves, albeit weakly, to the direction of the magnetic field. This effect is not strong enough to create a permanent magnet but is enough to make these materials move towards regions of stronger magnetic fields.
Examples & Analogies
Think of paramagnetic materials like tiny, weak magnets that only respond to a much stronger magnet. For instance, if you have a weak magnet such as a paper clip, it won't stick unless you bring it near a stronger magnet like a refrigerator magnet. Similarly, once the external magnet is removed, the paper clip will lose its magnetic attraction.
Atomic Behavior Under Magnetic Fields
Chapter 2 of 5
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
The individual atoms (or ions or molecules) of a paramagnetic material possess a permanent magnetic dipole moment of their own. On account of the ceaseless random thermal motion of the atoms, no net magnetisation is seen.
Detailed Explanation
Each atom in a paramagnetic material has its own tiny magnet due to unpaired electrons. However, because these atoms are constantly moving around due to thermal energy, their magnetic moments are oriented randomly, resulting in no net magnetization. When a strong external magnetic field is applied, it can align these atomic dipoles, leading them to point in the same direction, and thus showing a measurable magnetization.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a room full of people (the atoms) who are all facing different directions. If a loud announcement comes (the external magnetic field), everyone starts turning to face the same direction. Before the announcement, there’s chaos (no net magnetization) but after, there’s alignment and organization (net magnetization).
Effects of Temperature on Paramagnetism
Chapter 3 of 5
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
In the presence of an external field B0, which is strong enough, and at low temperatures, the individual atomic dipole moment can be made to align and point in the same direction as B0.
Detailed Explanation
Temperature affects paramagnetism significantly. At higher temperatures, the random thermal motion of the atoms increases, which can disrupt alignment in a magnetic field. However, at lower temperatures, the thermal agitation decreases, allowing the dipoles to align more effectively with the external magnetic field. Thus, low temperature combined with a strong magnetic field leads to stronger magnetization.
Examples & Analogies
Think of it like a crowd trying to form a line for a concert. When it’s warm outside (high temperature), people are more restless and scattered. However, if it gets cooler (lower temperature), they start to settle down and align more easily, allowing them to form a neat line (alignment with the magnetic field).
Behavior in Non-Uniform Magnetic Fields
Chapter 4 of 5
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
When placed in a non-uniform magnetic field, the bar will tend to move from weak field to strong.
Detailed Explanation
In non-uniform magnetic fields, the strength of the magnetic field varies across space. Paramagnetic materials will experience a net force that causes them to move toward regions of higher magnetic field strength. This behavior is due to the tendency of the magnetic dipoles to align with the stronger field, resulting in a net attraction.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a leaf being blown by the wind into a stronger breeze. Just as the leaf will move toward the area where the wind is strongest, paramagnetic materials will move toward regions where the magnetic field is stronger.
Examples of Paramagnetic Materials
Chapter 5 of 5
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
Some paramagnetic materials are aluminium, sodium, calcium, oxygen (at STP), and copper chloride.
Detailed Explanation
Examples of paramagnetic materials include metals like aluminium and sodium, as well as gases like oxygen. These materials display weak magnetism, and their behavior can be utilized in various applications, from manufacturing to scientific experiments.
Examples & Analogies
Think of these materials like the side characters in a story. They might not be the main characters (powerful magnets), but they play significant supportive roles when a stronger character (external magnetic field) is present. For instance, oxygen in the air contributes to paramagnetism but only shows it under specific conditions, like in strong fields and low temperatures.
Key Concepts
-
Paramagnetism: Material property causing weak magnetization in an external field.
-
Dipole Moment: Key to understanding how atoms respond to magnetic fields.
-
Magnetic Susceptibility: Indicator of how easily materials are magnetized.
Examples & Applications
Aluminum and oxygen are common paramagnetic materials.
In MRI technology, paramagnetic substances are utilized for imaging.
Memory Aids
Interactive tools to help you remember key concepts
Rhymes
Paramagnetism is a weak bond; with a field, it grows fond.
Stories
Once a metal named Aluminum stood still, until a magnet's power made it thrill. As it aligned, it felt so free, attracted to the field; such a sight to see!
Memory Tools
P.A.R.A: Positive Alignment in a Resonating Attraction.
Acronyms
P.M (Paramagnetic Moments) for Paramagnetic materials that align with external fields.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Paramagnetism
The property of materials that become weakly magnetized in the presence of an external magnetic field.
- Dipole Moment
A vector quantity that represents the separation of positive and negative charges in a system.
- Magnetic Susceptibility
A measure of how much a material will become magnetized in an applied magnetic field.
Reference links
Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.