Welcome, future physicists! Today, we're going to dive into the fascinating world of how different materials behave when they encounter a magnetic field. We'll start with the fundamental ideas of how materials get 'magnetized' and then focus on a special class of materials called
diamagnetic materials. So, grab your notebooks and let's get started!
### 1. The Magnetic Response of Materials: What is Magnetization?
You've probably seen magnets attracting certain objects like iron, but why don't they attract wood or plastic? The answer lies in how the internal structure of these materials responds to an external magnetic field. When we place any material in a magnetic field, something interesting happens at the atomic level.
Every atom has electrons orbiting its nucleus. These orbiting electrons are essentially tiny current loops, and as you know, a current loop creates its own tiny magnetic dipole moment. In most materials, these atomic magnetic moments are randomly oriented, so their effects cancel out, and the material as a whole isn't magnetic.
However, when an
external magnetic field (let's call it $H$) is applied, these tiny atomic dipoles (or the motion of electrons that create them) try to align with or oppose the external field, or new dipoles are induced. This internal rearrangement or induction of magnetic dipoles within the material leads to its
magnetization.
Think of it like this: Imagine you have a classroom full of students (atoms), each holding a small toy compass (atomic magnetic dipole).
*
Without an external magnetic field: Everyone is facing random directions, and there's no overall direction.
*
With an external magnetic field: If a teacher (external magnetic field) walks in and says, "Everyone face the front!", some students might try to turn towards the front, while others might react differently. The collective turning (or reaction) of the students is like the
magnetization of the material.
So,
Magnetization (denoted by $M$) is essentially the
net magnetic dipole moment developed per unit volume of the material when it's placed in an external magnetizing field. It's a measure of how strongly a material becomes magnetized.
The total magnetic field inside the material, $B$, is a combination of the applied external field $H$ and the field generated by the material's own magnetization $M$. Mathematically, for most cases, we can write:
$B = mu_0 (H + M)$
where $mu_0$ is the permeability of free space.
### 2. Characterizing Magnetic Materials: Susceptibility and Permeability
How do we quantify how easily a material gets magnetized? Or how strongly it responds to an external field? That's where two crucial concepts come in:
Magnetic Susceptibility and
Relative Permeability.
#### a) Magnetic Susceptibility (χ)
When a material is placed in a magnetic field, the magnetization ($M$) produced in it is directly proportional to the applied magnetizing field ($H$), provided the field isn't too strong. This relationship is given by:
$M = chi H$
Here, $chi$ (the Greek letter 'chi') is called the
magnetic susceptibility of the material.
* It's a dimensionless quantity that tells us
how easily a material can be magnetized.
* A
positive $chi$ means the material's magnetization adds to the applied field (it gets "attracted").
* A
negative $chi$ means the material's magnetization opposes the applied field (it gets "repelled").
* A
large absolute value of $chi$ means the material is easily magnetized.
#### b) Relative Permeability ($mu_r$)
The total magnetic field inside a material is also related to the external field by another quantity called
permeability ($mu$).
$B = mu H$
The permeability $mu$ tells us how much magnetic flux can pass through a material. It's related to the permeability of free space ($mu_0$) by:
$mu = mu_0 mu_r$
where $mu_r$ is the
relative permeability. It's also a dimensionless quantity that compares the material's permeability to that of free space.
There's a beautiful relationship between susceptibility and relative permeability:
$mu_r = 1 + chi$
This equation is super important because it directly links how a material responds internally (magnetization, $chi$) to how it affects the total magnetic field ($B$, via $mu_r$).
Now that we have the fundamentals of magnetization in place, let's zoom into a specific type of magnetic material:
Diamagnetic Materials.
### 3. Diamagnetic Materials: The Field Opposers
Imagine you're trying to push a small, light ball. If you push it one way, it subtly tries to resist your push and move slightly in the opposite direction. This is a bit like how diamagnetic materials behave in a magnetic field!
Diamagnetic materials are those that are weakly repelled by an external magnetic field. This means that when you place a diamagnetic material in an external magnetic field, it develops an induced magnetic dipole moment that opposes the applied field. Consequently, it tries to move from stronger to weaker parts of the magnetic field.
#### a) The Atomic Origin of Diamagnetism (Why they repel!)
This is where it gets really interesting! The origin of diamagnetism lies in the fundamental behavior of electrons within atoms. Every electron orbiting a nucleus is like a tiny current loop, producing a tiny magnetic dipole moment.
* In a diamagnetic material, all the electron shells are
completely filled, and the electrons are paired up. This means that the magnetic moments of individual electrons (due to their spin and orbital motion) effectively
cancel each other out in the absence of an external field. So, the atom as a whole has no net permanent magnetic dipole moment.
* Now, what happens when we apply an
external magnetic field? According to
Lenz's Law (which you might remember from electromagnetic induction), any change in magnetic flux through a circuit (or an electron's orbit) will induce a current that opposes that change.
* The applied magnetic field causes a slight
change in the orbital motion of the electrons.
* This change in motion induces a tiny additional magnetic moment in each electron's orbit.
* Crucially, this
induced magnetic moment always opposes the external applied field.
Think of it like this: The external field is trying to impose a "direction" on the electron's orbit. The electron's orbit, obeying Lenz's Law, generates its own tiny magnetic field to "push back" against this imposed direction. This collective "push back" from all the electrons in the material results in its weak repulsion from the external magnetic field.
#### b) Key Characteristics of Diamagnetic Materials
Let's summarize the defining features of diamagnetic materials:
1.
Weak Repulsion: They are weakly repelled by external magnetic fields. If suspended freely, a diamagnetic rod will align itself
perpendicular to the external magnetic field.
2.
Negative Susceptibility ($chi < 0$): Their magnetic susceptibility is small, negative, and typically in the range of $-10^{-5}$ to $-10^{-6}$.
*
Example: For bismuth, $chi approx -1.6 imes 10^{-5}$. For water, $chi approx -9 imes 10^{-6}$. The negative sign indicates opposition to the field.
3.
Relative Permeability Slightly Less Than 1 ($mu_r < 1$): Since $mu_r = 1 + chi$, and $chi$ is small and negative, $mu_r$ will be slightly less than 1. This means the magnetic field inside a diamagnetic material is slightly weaker than the external applied field.
*
Example: For bismuth, $mu_r approx 1 - 1.6 imes 10^{-5} = 0.999984$.
4.
Independent of Temperature: The induced magnetic moments in diamagnetic materials are not affected by thermal agitation, so their diamagnetic properties are largely independent of temperature.
5.
No Permanent Magnetic Dipoles: In the absence of an external field, diamagnetic materials have no net magnetic dipole moment. Their magnetism is purely induced.
6.
Non-Retention of Magnetism: Once the external magnetic field is removed, the induced magnetic moments vanish immediately, and the material loses its temporary diamagnetic properties.
7.
Field Lines Repelled: When placed in a magnetic field, the magnetic field lines tend to be expelled from the diamagnetic material, making the field inside slightly weaker than outside.
Characteristic |
Description for Diamagnetic Materials |
|---|
Magnetic Susceptibility ($chi$) |
Small, negative, and independent of temperature. E.g., $-10^{-5}$ to $-10^{-6}$. |
Relative Permeability ($mu_r$) |
Slightly less than 1. ($mu_r < 1$) |
Behavior in External Field |
Weakly repelled; moves from stronger to weaker field regions. |
Alignment in Uniform Field |
A rod aligns perpendicular to the field. |
Permanent Dipoles |
No permanent atomic magnetic dipoles. |
#### c) Examples of Diamagnetic Materials
You encounter diamagnetic materials every day! Some common examples include:
*
Water (H$_2$O): This is a classic example.
*
Copper (Cu): Many electrical wires are made of copper.
*
Bismuth (Bi): One of the strongest diamagnetic materials at room temperature.
*
Gold (Au) and Silver (Ag): Precious metals.
*
Nitrogen (N$_2$) and Hydrogen (H$_2$): Many gases.
*
Air: Due to its nitrogen and oxygen content (though oxygen is paramagnetic, its contribution is small).
*
Many organic compounds: Plastics, wood, oil.
*
Superconductors: These are *perfect* diamagnets (or exhibit the Meissner effect) below their critical temperature, completely expelling magnetic field lines. This is a special, extreme case of diamagnetism.
JEE Focus: While the basic definition is simple, JEE questions often test your understanding of the
sign and magnitude of $chi$ and $mu_r$, the
temperature dependence, and the
alignment in external fields. Remember that the underlying cause (Lenz's Law at the atomic level) is crucial!
So, there you have it! Diamagnetism is a universal property of all matter, but it's often masked by stronger forms of magnetism (which we'll explore in future lessons). It's a subtle but fundamental way that materials interact with magnetic fields, driven by the quantum dance of electrons. Keep exploring, and you'll find magnetism in every corner of the universe!