MAGNETISM AND

MATTER
1) The earth’s magnetism predates human evolution. The word magnet is derived from the
name of an island in Greece called magnesia where magnetic ore deposits were found, as
early as 600 BC.
2) Some of the commonly known ideas regarding magnetism are:
(i) The earth behaves as a magnet with the magnetic field pointing approximately
from the geographic south to the north.
(ii) When a bar magnet is freely suspended, it points in the north-south direction. The
tip which points to the geographic north is called the north pole and the tip which
points to the geographic south is called the south pole of the magnet.
(iii) There is a repulsive force when north poles (or south poles) of two magnets are
brought close together. Conversely, there is an attractive force between the north
pole of one magnet and the south pole of the other.
(iv) We cannot isolate the north, or south pole of a magnet. If a bar magnet is broken
into two halves, we get two similar bar magnets with somewhat weaker properties.
Unlike electric charges, isolated magnetic north and south poles known as
magnetic monopoles do not exist.
(v) It is possible to make magnets out of iron and its alloys.
3) The pattern of iron filings suggests that the magnet has two poles similar to the positive
and negative charge of an electric dipole. A similar pattern of iron filings is observed
around a current carrying solenoid.
4) The magnetic field lines are a visual and intuitive realisation of the magnetic field.
Properties are:
(i) The magnetic field lines of a magnet (or a solenoid) form continuous closed loops.
This is unlike the electric dipole where these field lines begin from a positive
charge and end on the negative charge or escape to infinity.
(ii) The tangent to the field line at a given point represents the direction of the net
magnetic field B at that point.
(iii) The larger the number of field lines crossing per unit area, the stronger is the
magnitude of the magnetic field B.
(iv) The magnetic field lines do not intersect, for if they did, the direction of the
magnetic field would not be unique at the point of intersection.
5) One can plot the magnetic field lines in a variety of ways. One way is to place a small
magnetic compass needle at various positions and note its orientation. This gives us an
idea of the magnetic field direction at various points in space.
6) Bar magnet as an equivalent solenoid –
(i) The resemblance of magnetic field lines for a bar magnet and a solenoid suggest that a
bar magnet may be thought of as a large number of circulating currents in analogy
with a solenoid.
(ii) Cutting a bar magnet in half is like cutting a solenoid. We get two smaller solenoids
with weaker magnetic properties.
(iii) The field lines remain continuous, emerging from one face of the solenoid and
entering into the other face.
(iv)One can test this analogy by moving a small compass needle in the neighbourhood of
a bar magnet and a current-carrying finite solenoid and noting that the deflections of
the needle are similar in both cases.
μ0 2 m
(v) The magnetic field at an axial point is: Baxial = .
4 π r3
(vi)The magnetic moment of a bar magnet is thus equal to the magnetic moment of an
equivalent solenoid that produces the same magnetic field.
7) The dipole in a uniform magnetic field –

Let’s place a small compass needle of

known magnetic moment m and allowing it
to oscillate in the magnetic field. The
restoring torque - τ =m× B . (In magnitude,
τ =m ⃗B sin θ)

Magnetic potential energy –

U m =∫ τ ( θ ) ⅆθ U m =mB cos θ

U m =∫ mB sin θ=−m⋅ B Stable equilibrium – 0 0

 Unstable equilibrium - 1800

8) Gauss’s law for magnetism - The net magnetic flux through any closed surface is zero.
∅ B =BΔS
mnet
9) Magnetisation – magnetic moment per unit volume is called magnetisation. M =
V
10) Terms related to magnetic properties –
- Consider a long solenoid of n turns per unit length and carrying a current I. The
magnetic field in the interior of the solenoid was shown to be given by B0=μ 0∋¿.
- If the interior of the solenoid is filled with a material with non-zero magnetisation, the
field inside the solenoid will be B=B0 + Bm
- Bm αM ⇒ Bm=μ 0 M
- The ratio of strength of magnetising field to permeability of free space is called
B
magnetic intensity. H= −M
μ0
- Magnetic susceptibility is a dimensionless proportionality constant that indicates the

degree of magnetization of a material in response to an applied magnetic field. M = χH

- Magnetic permeability is defined as the ratio of the magnetic induction to
the magnetic intensity. μ=μ 0 μr =μ0 ( 1+ χ )
11) Magnetic properties of various substances –

Paramagnetism Diamagnetism Ferromagnetism

1. weakly magnetised when 1. moves from stronger to weaker 1. gets strongly magnetised
placed in a magnetic field part of magnetic field when placed in an external
2. move from a region of 2. magnet repels magnetic field.
weak magnetic field to 3. When placed in non-uniform 2. move from strong to
strong magnetic field. magnetic field, the bar moves weak.
3. weakly attracted to from high to low field. 3. In non-uniform magnetic
magnet 4. bismuth, copper, lead, silicon, field, the sample tends to
4. The field lines gets nitrogen (at STP), water and move towards the region of
concentrated inside the sodium chloride. high field.
material, and the field inside 5. present in all substances 4. Alnico, an alloy of iron,
is enhanced 6. A superconductor repels a aluminium, nickel, cobalt
5. When placed in a non- magnet and is repelled by the and copper (hard
uniform magnetic field, the magnet. ferromagnets)
bar will tend to move from 7. The phenomenon of perfect 5. Soft iron (soft
weak field to strong. diamagnetism in superconductors ferromagnets)
6. aluminium, sodium, is called the Meissner effect 6. At high enough
calcium, oxygen (at STP) temperature, a ferromagnet
and copper chloride. becomes a paramagnet.
The individual atoms of a Electrons nucleus possess orbital The individual atoms
paramagnetic material angular momentum & are possess a dipole moment
possess a permanent equivalent to current-carrying and interact with one
magnetic dipole moment of loop & possess orbital magnetic another in such a way that
their own. moment. they spontaneously align
On account of the ceaseless Diamagnetic substances are the themselves in a common
random thermal motion of ones in which resultant magnetic direction over a macroscopic
the atoms, no net moment in an atom is 0. volume called domain.
magnetisation is seen. When magnetic field is applied, Each domain has a net
In the presence of an those electrons having orbital magnetisation. Typical
external field, is strong magnetic moment in the same domain size is 1mm and the
enough, and at low direction slow down and those in domain contains about 1011
temperatures, the individual the opposite direction speed up. atoms. In the first instant,
atomic dipole moment can the magnetisation varies
be made to align and point randomly from domain to
in the same direction domain and there is no bulk
magnetisation. When we
apply an external magnetic
field, the domains orient
themselves in the direction
of and simultaneously the
domain oriented in the
direction grow in size.

PYQ

1) Show that a current carrying solenoid behaves like a small bar magnet. Obtain the
expression for the magnetic field at an external point lying on its axis.
2) A steady current of 2A flows through a circular coil having 5 turns of radius 7 cm. The
coil lies in X-Y plane with its centre at the origin. Find the magnitude and direction of the
magnetic dipole moment of the coil.
3) A bar magnet of dipole moment 3 Am2 rests with its centre on a frictionless pivot. A force
F is applied at right angles to the axis of the magnet, 10 cm from the pivot. It is observed
that an external magnetic field of 0.25 T is required to hold the magnet in equilibrium at
an angle of 30° with the field. Calculate the value of F. How will the equilibrium be
effected if F is withdrawn?
4) Depict the behaviour of magnetic field lines near
(i) diamagnetic and
(ii) paramagnetic substances. Justify, giving reasons.
5) Out of the two magnetic materials, ‘A’ has relative permeability slightly greater than
unity while ‘B’ has less than unity. Identify the nature of the materials ‘A’ and ‘B’. Will
their susceptibilities be positive or negative?
6) A coil of ‘N’ turns and radius ‘R’ carries a current ‘I’. It is unwound and rewound to
make a square coil of side ‘a’ having same number of turns (N). Keeping the current ‘I’
same, find the ratio of the magnetic moments of the square coil and the circular coil.
7) State two characteristic properties distinguishing the behaviour of diamagnetic and
ferromagnetic materials.
8) A circular coil of N turns and diameter ‘d’ carries a current ‘I’. It is unwound and
rewound to make another coil of diameter ‘2d’, current T remaining the same. Calculate
the ratio of the magnetic moments of the new coil and the original coil.
9) A circular coil of N turns and radius R carries a current I. It is unwound and rewound to
make another coil of radius R/2, current I remaining the same. Calculate
the ratio of the magnetic moments of the new coil and the original coil.
10) The relative magnetic permeability of a magnetic material is 800. Identify
the nature of magnetic material and state its two properties.
11) The susceptibility of a magnetic material is 2.6 × 10-5. Identify the type of
magnetic material and state its two properties.
12) The susceptibility of a magnetic material is – 2.6 × 10-5. Identify the type of magnetic
material and state its two properties.
13) The figure shows the variation of intensity of magnetisation versus the applied magnetic
field intensity, H, for two magnetic materials A and B :
(a) Identify the materials A and B.
(b) Why does the material B, has a larger susceptibility than A, for a given field at
constant temperature?
14) Define magnetic susceptibility of a material. Name two elements, one having positive
susceptibility and the other having negative susceptibility. What does negative
susceptibility signify?
15) Which of the following substances are para-magnetic? Bi, Al, Cu, Ca, Pb, Ni
16) Which of the following substances are diamagnetic? Bi, Al, Na, Cu, Ca and Ni