QuestionPhysics / Magnetism
A compass needle made of paramagnetic alloy is used at a location where the angle of dip is π/3. When the alloy is slightly cooled below the room temperature, the needle's vertical deflection increases, even though the Earth's magnetic field remains unchanged. Which one of the following best explains this observation?
- (a) Cooling increases the needle's moment of inertia making it more sensitive to vertical torque.
- (b) Paramagnetic susceptibility increases as temperature decreases.
- (c) The dip angle of the Earth's magnetic field increases when temperature drops.
- (d) Cooling decreases thermal agitation, converting the material effectively into a ferromagnet.
Part of VKC Basic
Read the answer and its explanation with VKC Basic
VKC Basic (₹999 for 6 months) opens every solved answer, the notes, the handbook and the daily answer archive. Every Mains test series includes it.