Paramagnetic Liquid Demonstration

Paramagnetism refers to a phenomenon where a material shows magnetism as a weak attraction whenever placed in a magnetic field. The main reason behind a material showing paramagnetism is the presence of some unpaired electrons in that material. Paramagnets do not possess a quality of retaining magnetisation, unlike ferromagnetic substances. Some paramagnetic substances often get a spin disorder at absolute zero temperature. This article will discuss all the key concepts of Paramagnetism and Paramagnetic Liquids with some light on paramagnetic liquid demonstration. 

What is Paramagnetism?

Paramagnetism is a kind of magnetism where external magnetic forces slightly and weakly attract some materials, thus forming internal and induced magnetic fields in the same direction as the applied magnetic field. The presence of unpaired electrons in any material results in paramagnetism, so the atoms with incomplete atomic orbitals are generally paramagnetic, except for some exceptions such as Copper. Due to the spin of atomic orbitals, the electrons that are not paired experience magnetic dipole moments, and thus, they act as tiny individual magnets. In chemistry, a simple rule of thumb is determining whether the substance is paramagnetic or diamagnetic.

Rule of thumb: if all the electrons in any material are paired, then the substance made out of that material is considered diamagnetic. When a substance has unpaired electrons, then the substance is considered paramagnetic.

Paramagnetic Materials

If the material is placed in a magnetic field and gets weakly magnetised in the same direction as the magnetising field, it is termed paramagnetic material. Such materials experience the permanent magnetic moment and permanent dipole moment. The concept of relative magnetic permeability in paramagnetic materials is slightly greater than 1, and due to this, they are attracted to the magnetic field. Paramagnetic materials include some compounds and most chemical elements, for example- aluminium, oxygen, titanium, and iron oxide. With the absence of some external field, paramagnetic material does not retain any magnetisation because the spin orientation becomes irregular due to the thermal motion. Many paramagnetic materials retain a finite magnetic field at low temperatures and in the absence of an applied field. Such materials also exist in a liquid stage. Paramagnetic liquid examples may include liquid oxygen. 

Paramagnetic Liquid Definition

The liquid materials that are weakly magnetised in a magnetic field and in the same direction as the magnetising field are called paramagnetic liquid. Liquid oxygen is a paramagnetic material that follows the properties of magnetism. The presence of two unpaired electrons on oxygen molecules results in spinning those electrons, creating a magnetic field and resulting in paramagnetic liquid oxygen. Liquid oxygen is a volatile, flammable substance and is extremely concentrated. It is used in the systems of rockets and missiles as an oxidant for liquid fuels. It is lighter in weight and is easy to carry around.

Demonstration of Paramagnetic Liquid

When you place a paramagnetic liquid on a watch glass placed on two poles at some distance, the accumulation of liquid takes place in the area with the strongest field. Like this, there is another case where you put the paramagnetic liquid on a watch glass placed at some distance. It results in a depression in the exact middle of the watch glass where the field is strongest. 

Bonus Points

Now that you have completely understood the concept of paramagnetic liquid demonstration, let us move on to understand and remember a few points:

• The magnetisation of substances with paramagnetic nature is inversely proportional to their absolute temperature. A slight increase in the temperature can result in a power loss of magnetism.
• A continuous lowering in temperature gives rise to a condition where all the atomic dipoles come to one place and align with the field. This state is known as the saturation state. In addition to that, this also holds the validation of curie’s law.
• The properties of Paramagnetism are found in all the states of matter.

Conclusion

Paramagnetism refers to a temporary magnetism occurring in a substance due to its position in a strong magnetic field. Paramagnetism is a type or form of magnetism in which some substance or materials are very weakly attracted to each other by an induced magnetic field, an external source of the magnetic field in the direction to which the magnetic field is applied. This article discusses the concept of paramagnetic liquid demonstration with a piece of in-depth information on paramagnetism and its causes, backed with some bonus information to help.