If a magnet is suspended over a container of liquid air, it attracts d...
If a magnet is suspended over a container of liquid air, it attracts droplets to its poles. The droplets contain only liquid oxygen; even though nitrogen is the primary constituent of air, it is not attracted to the magnet. Explain what this tells you about the magnetic susceptibilities of oxygen and nitrogen, and explain why a magnet in ordinary, room-temperature air doesn’t attract molecules of oxygen gas to its poles.
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If a magnet is suspended over a container of liquid air, it attracts d...
Explanation:
When a magnet is suspended over a container of liquid air, it attracts droplets to its poles. The droplets contain only liquid oxygen and no nitrogen because of the different magnetic properties of oxygen and nitrogen. The correct option is 'D', that is, oxygen is paramagnetic whereas nitrogen is diamagnetic.
Paramagnetism and Diamagnetism:
Paramagnetic substances are those that have unpaired electrons and are attracted by a magnetic field, whereas diamagnetic substances are those that have paired electrons and are repelled by a magnetic field. Oxygen has two unpaired electrons in its outermost shell, making it paramagnetic, while nitrogen has all its electrons paired up, making it diamagnetic.
Reason:
When the magnet is suspended over a container of liquid air, it creates a magnetic field. The magnetic field causes the oxygen droplets to be attracted towards the magnet's poles. This is because the unpaired electrons in the oxygen molecules align themselves with the magnetic field, causing the droplets to be attracted to the magnet. Nitrogen, on the other hand, does not have any unpaired electrons, and its electrons do not align themselves with the magnetic field. Therefore, nitrogen droplets are not attracted to the magnet, and only oxygen droplets are attracted.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the droplets in the container of liquid air are attracted to the magnet due to the paramagnetic properties of oxygen and the absence of such properties in nitrogen.
If a magnet is suspended over a container of liquid air, it attracts d...
Because diamagnetic substances are feebly repelled by magnet and paramgnetic substances attract.