Why magnet can attract liquid oxygen but not aluminium?both paramagnet

AI Thread Summary
Magnets attract ferromagnetic materials due to their magnetic domains, which align to form magnetic dipoles in an external field. Paramagnetic materials, like liquid oxygen, have unpaired electrons that can realign under a magnetic field, leading to attraction. However, aluminum, while considered paramagnetic, does not exhibit noticeable attraction due to its lower magnetic susceptibility and the influence of temperature as described by Curie's law. The discussion also touches on the potential confusion between paramagnetism and Eddy currents. Overall, the differences in magnetic behavior between liquid oxygen and aluminum are primarily due to their electronic structures and temperature effects.
Outrageous
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A magnet only attract ferromagnetic material because they have magnetic domains which will align to form magnetic dipole when external magnetic field applied.
Paramagnet don't have domains. Due to the presence of some unpaired electron, they will cause the realignment of the electron path when external magnetic field applied.
So they should be attracted by magnet also, eg liquid oxygen.
But why not aluminium ? is that because of the temperature or the mass of the paramagnetic material?
Thank you
 
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hi there

interesting question ... I was unaware that LOX was paramagnetic till now
here's one link to a site showing some easy to do experiments.

Yes it is to do with the unpaired electrons see this site

Aluminium is deemed paramagnetic see this link to Wiki

cheers
Dave
 
Temperature has a direct bearing on paramagnetism. See Curie's law.
 
Outrageous said:
A magnet only attract ferromagnetic material because they have magnetic domains which will align to form magnetic dipole when external magnetic field applied.
Paramagnet don't have domains. Due to the presence of some unpaired electron, they will cause the realignment of the electron path when external magnetic field applied.
So they should be attracted by magnet also, eg liquid oxygen.
But why not aluminium ? is that because of the temperature or the mass of the paramagnetic material?
Thank you

Are you perhaps confusing paramagnetism with Eddy currents?
 

Thread 'Why measure the speed of light in one direction?'

It may be shown from the equations of electromagnetism, by James Clerk Maxwell in the 1860’s, that the speed of light in the vacuum of free space is related to electric permittivity (ϵ) and magnetic permeability (μ) by the equation: c=1/√( μ ϵ ) . This value is a constant for the vacuum of free space and is independent of the motion of the observer. It was this fact, in part, that led Albert Einstein to Special Relativity.
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