Magnetic susceptibility

Definition

Magnetic susceptibility is a measure of how much a material will become magnetized in response to an applied magnetic field. It quantifies the extent to which a material can be magnetized and indicates whether the material is diamagnetic, paramagnetic, or ferromagnetic. This property plays a crucial role in understanding how materials interact with magnetic fields and influences various applications, from electronics to materials science.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Magnetic susceptibility is represented by the symbol $$\chi$$ and can have positive or negative values depending on the type of material.
2. Materials with positive magnetic susceptibility are typically paramagnetic or ferromagnetic, while those with negative values are diamagnetic.
3. The magnitude of magnetic susceptibility varies widely among different materials, influencing their behavior in magnetic fields.
4. In ferromagnetic materials, magnetic susceptibility can be significantly high, especially near their Curie temperature, where they transition from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic behavior.
5. Understanding magnetic susceptibility is essential for designing magnetic devices, as it affects how materials respond to external magnetic fields.

Review Questions

• How does magnetic susceptibility affect the classification of materials into diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and ferromagnetic categories?
  • Magnetic susceptibility is key in classifying materials into diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and ferromagnetic groups based on their response to an applied magnetic field. Diamagnetic materials exhibit negative susceptibility, indicating they are weakly repelled by magnetic fields. Paramagnetic materials have positive susceptibility, meaning they are attracted but only weakly. Ferromagnetic materials show very high positive susceptibility, allowing them to become strongly magnetized and retain that magnetization even after the external field is removed.
• Discuss the significance of understanding magnetic susceptibility in the context of designing electronic devices.
  • Understanding magnetic susceptibility is crucial for designing electronic devices because it determines how different materials will interact with magnetic fields in applications such as sensors and memory storage. Engineers must select materials with suitable susceptibilities to ensure optimal performance. For example, ferromagnetic materials are essential for creating strong magnets in electric motors, while diamagnetic materials may be used for shielding sensitive electronic components from external magnetic interference.
• Evaluate the relationship between temperature changes and the behavior of magnetic susceptibility in ferromagnetic materials.
  • The relationship between temperature changes and magnetic susceptibility in ferromagnetic materials is significant, particularly as they approach their Curie temperature. Below this critical temperature, these materials display high positive susceptibility due to aligned magnetic domains. However, once the temperature exceeds the Curie point, the alignment breaks down, causing the material to transition to a paramagnetic state characterized by much lower susceptibility. This temperature dependence has practical implications for applications like transformers and inductors where performance can vary significantly with temperature.

Related terms

permeability: Permeability refers to the ability of a material to support the formation of a magnetic field within itself, and is directly related to how easily a material can be magnetized.

ferromagnetism: Ferromagnetism is a phenomenon where certain materials can become permanently magnetized due to the alignment of their magnetic domains.

diamagnetism: Diamagnetism is a form of magnetism that occurs in materials that are not attracted to magnetic fields and exhibit a weak repulsion when exposed to them.