The best suited curve showing the variations of susceptibility ($\chi$) of a paramagnetic material in free spa

Question

The best suited curve showing the variations of susceptibility ($\chi$) of a paramagnetic material in free space with temperature ($T$) is:

Accepted Answer

1. **Nature of Paramagnetism:** According to the provided Chemistry source, paramagnetism arises from the presence of unpaired electrons, where the magnetic moment is associated with spin and orbital angular momentum . These individual atomic dipoles tend to align with an external magnetic field.
2. **Temperature Dependence (Curie's Law):** The alignment of these dipoles is opposed by thermal agitation. **Curie's Law** states that the magnetic susceptibility ($\chi$) of a paramagnetic material is inversely proportional to the absolute temperature ($T$):
   $$ \chi = \frac{C}{T} $$
   where $C$ is the Curie constant.
3. **Graphical Representation:** The mathematical relationship $\chi \propto 1/T$ represents a **rectangular hyperbola**. The curve should start with a high value of $\chi$ at low $T$ and decrease asymptotically towards zero as $T$ increases. Option 2 typically represents this hyperbolic decay in standard exam diagrams.

Step-by-Step Solution

Practice All PHYSICS Questions