Unlocking the Magnetic Secrets of a Paramagnetic Cube
Imagine holding a tiny cube made of a paramagnetic material. It looks ordinary, but when exposed to an external magnetic field, it awakens. The atoms inside align, and the cube develops its own magnetic identity. In this problem, we are tasked with finding the magnetic susceptibility of such a cube, a fundamental property that tells us exactly how "responsive" this material is to an external magnetic push.
Let's break down the physics and the math step-by-step.
Step 1
Finding the Physical Volume
Before we can dive into the magnetic properties, we need to establish the physical space this cube occupies. The problem states that the side of the cube is a=1 cm.
In physics, consistency in units is paramount. We must convert this length into the standard SI unit, meters:
The volume V of a cube is simply the cube of its side length:
This tiny volume is the domain where all the magnetic magic happens.
Step 2
The Intensity of Magnetisation (I)
When the external magnetic intensity H=60×103 A/m is applied, the cube develops a total magnetic dipole moment M=20×10−6 J/T.
However, total magnetic moment isn't a fair measure of the material's intrinsic property because it depends on the size of the object. A larger cube would naturally have a larger total moment. To standardize this, we define the Intensity of Magnetisation (I). Think of it as the "density of magnetism"—the magnetic moment developed per unit volume.
Substituting our known values:
Notice how beautifully the 10−6 terms cancel out! We are left with a clean, simple integer:
Step 3
Calculating Magnetic Susceptibility (χ)
Now we reach the core of the problem. Magnetic susceptibility (χ) is the ultimate measure of a material's magnetic responsiveness. It answers the question: For a given external magnetic push (H), how much magnetization (I) does the material actually develop?
Mathematically, it is the ratio of the induced magnetization to the applied magnetic intensity:
Let's plug in our calculated I and the given H:
Simplifying the fraction 6020 gives us 31. Bringing the 103 from the denominator to the numerator changes its sign to 10−3:
Since 31≈0.333, we can write:
To match the standard scientific notation format of our options, we shift the decimal point one place to the right, which decreases the exponent by one:
The Final Verdict
Our calculated magnetic susceptibility is 3.3×10−4. Looking at the given choices, this perfectly matches Option (a).
This problem is a fantastic reminder of how macroscopic geometric properties (like the volume of a cube) are intimately tied to the microscopic magnetic behavior of materials. Always remember to keep your units in check, and the physics will naturally unfold!