5.16 Answer the following questions:

(a) Why does a paramagnetic sample display greater magnetisation (for the same magnetising field) when cooled?

(b) Why is diamagnetism, in contrast, almost independent of temperature?

(c) If a toroid uses bismuth for its core, will the field in the core be (slightly) greater or (slightly) less than when the core is empty?

(d) Is the permeability of a ferromagnetic material independent of the magnetic field? If not, is it more for lower or higher fields?

(e) Magnetic field lines are always nearly normal to the surface of a ferromagnet at every point. (This fact is analogous to the static electric field lines being normal to the surface of a conductor at every point.) Why?

(f) Would the maximum possible magnetization of a paramagnetic sample be of the same order of magnitude as the magnetization of a ferromagnet?


(a) Owing to the random thermal motion of molecules, the alignments of dipoles get disrupted at high temperatures. On cooling, this disruption is reduced. hence, a paramagnetic sample displays greater magnetization when cooled.

(b) The induced dipole moment in a diamagnetic substance is always opposite to the magnetizing field. Hence, the internal motion of the atoms (which is related to the temperature) does not affect the diamagnetism of a material.

(c) Bismuth is a diamagnetic substance. Hence, a toroid with a bismuth core has a magnetic field slightly greater than a toroid whose core is empty.

(d) The permeability of a ferromagnetic material is not independent of the applied magnetic field. It is greater for a lower field and vice verse.

(e) The permeability of a ferromagnetic material is not less than one. It is always greater than one. hence, the magnetic field line are always nearly normal to the surface of such materials at every point.

(f) The maximum possible magnetization of a paramagnetic sample can be of the same order of magnitude as the magnetization of a ferromagnet. This requires high magnetizing fields for saturation.