Practice portal › Magnetism and Matter › Magnetisation and Magnetic Materials

When a paramagnetic substance is brought near a north pole or a south pole of a bar magnet, it ______.

Asked in GSEB Board July 2018 · Dia, para and ferromagnetism

Answer: (3) experience attraction

Step-by-step solution

Idea: the sample has no permanent moment of its own. The magnet's field induces one, and a paramagnetic material magnetises along the applied field.

So whichever pole is presented, the near face of the sample becomes the opposite kind of pole.

Unlike poles attract, so the sample is pulled towards the magnet.

Swap the magnet end for end and both the field and the induced moment reverse, so the pull is unchanged -- the answer cannot depend on which pole is used.

The same conclusion comes from the field gradient: close to a pole the field is very non-uniform, and a paramagnetic sample is drawn towards the stronger field.

So it experiences attraction at either pole, though only a feeble one.

Why the other options are wrong

More Magnetisation and Magnetic Materials questionsAll Magnetisation and Magnetic Materials questions →

Reading this solution needs no sign-in. You only sign in to practise against the clock and keep your progress.

Practise this with a timer