Will you be teaching magnetism soon? You may wish to include some a demonstrations of paramagnetism and diamagnetism.
This video I made
for UCLA will help you with these ideas. In the video, I discuss three different
types of magnetism, superconductors, and different magnetic substances. This video will help you recognize on the differences between
paramagnetism, diamagnetism, and ferromagnetism.
You might not think of water as being magnetic, but it
is. It is diamagnetic.
Graphite,
aluminum, and glass are magnetic too! They are diamagnetic or paramagnetic, but
how can you differentiate between the two? Watching the video will help.
And what about the third type, ferromagnetism?
And what about the third type, ferromagnetism?
Most people
are familiar with ferromagnetism—it is
one of the strongest forms of magnetism. For example, a magnetized piece of
iron, nickel, or cobalt becomes a magnet in the presence of a magnetic field. The
effect is strong and lasts even after the magnet is removed.
Paramagnetism
is weaker and more temporary than ferromagnetism. Aluminum is a good example of
a paramagnet, and so is oxygen, which is attracted to magnets.
This image shows a few mL of liquid oxygen
So how can
you tell if a substance is diagmagnetic or paramagnetic? You need to see how it
aligns itself in a magnetic field.
Don’t get it
just yet? Or maybe your students need to “see” this happening. Never fear, the video includes diagrams and
demos to illustrate this concept. Just go watch it! What are you
waiting for?