Briefly describe the phenomenon of magnetic hysteresis, and why it occurs for ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials.

Short Answer

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Magnetic hysteresis occurs in ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials due to the alignment of magnetic domains and the partial cancellation of their magnetic moments. In ferromagnetic materials, magnetic domains align with the external field, but when the field is removed or reversed, the domain structure does not return to its initial arrangement immediately, causing a lag in magnetization. In ferrimagnetic materials, magnetic atoms have antiparallel alignments with different magnitudes of magnetic moments, leading to partial cancellation and lag in magnetization when the external field is applied or removed. This phenomenon is essential for applications such as transformers and memory devices.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Magnetic Hysteresis

Magnetic hysteresis is a phenomenon observed in ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials where the magnetic induction (B) within the material lags behind the applied magnetic field (H). This means that there is a difference in the level of magnetization when the material is magnetized in one direction versus the other. In other words, when a varying external magnetic field is applied to such materials, their magnetization does not immediately follow the external field; instead, it lags behind, creating a loop-like shape called a hysteresis loop. This property is crucial in several applications, such as transformers and memory devices.
02

Ferromagnetic materials

Ferromagnetic materials have magnetic domains with a preferred direction of magnetization. In the absence of an external magnetic field, these domains cancel each other out, and the net magnetization of the material is zero. However, when an external magnetic field is applied, the domains align in the direction of the field, resulting in non-zero net magnetization. When the external field is removed or reversed, the domain structure does not return to its initial arrangement immediately, leading to a lag in the magnetization of the material. This is the main cause of magnetic hysteresis in ferromagnetic materials.
03

Ferrimagnetic materials

For ferrimagnetic materials, the situation is slightly different. In these materials, the magnetic atoms are aligned in antiparallel directions, with different magnitudes of magnetic moments. When an external magnetic field is applied, a similar alignment process occurs as in ferromagnetic materials, leading to a net magnetization. However, the alignment of magnetic moments is not complete, and a partial cancellation of their effects still occurs. When the external field is removed or reversed, the lag in magnetization caused by this partial cancellation and the non-ideal reorientation of the magnetic atoms leads to hysteresis.
04

Conclusion

Magnetic hysteresis is a phenomenon where the magnetization of ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials lags behind the applied magnetic field. This is primarily due to the alignment of magnetic domains in ferromagnetic materials and the partial cancellation of magnetic moments in ferrimagnetic materials. The occurrence of hysteresis in these materials is essential for applications such as transformers and memory devices.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The chemical formula for copper ferrite may be written as \(\left(\mathrm{CuFe}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}\right)_{8}\) because there are eight formula units per unit cell. If this material has a saturation magnetization of \(1.35 \times\) \(10^{5} \mathrm{A} / \mathrm{m}\) and a density of \(5.40 \mathrm{g} / \mathrm{cm}^{3},\) estimate the number of Bohr magnetons associated with each \(\mathrm{Cu}^{2+}\) ion.

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The magnetization within a bar of some metal alloy is \(1.2 \times 10^{6} \mathrm{A} / \mathrm{m}\) at an \(\mathrm{H}\) field of \(200 \mathrm{A} / \mathrm{m} .\) Compute the following: (a) the magnetic susceptibility, (b) the permeability, and (c) the magnetic flux density within this material. (d) What type(s) of magnetism would you suggest as being displayed by this material? Why?

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The formula for samarium iron garnet \(\left(\mathrm{Sm}_{3} \mathrm{Fe}_{5} \mathrm{O}_{12}\right)\) may be written in the form \(\mathrm{Sm}_{3}^{c} \mathrm{Fe}_{2}^{a} \mathrm{Fe}_{3}^{d} \mathrm{O}_{12},\) where the superscripts \(a, c\) and \(d\) represent different sites on which the \(\mathrm{Sm}^{3+}\) and \(\mathrm{Fe}^{3+}\) ions are located. The spin magnetic moments for the \(\mathrm{Sm}^{3+}\) and \(\mathrm{Fe}^{3}\) ions positioned in the \(a\) and \(c\) sites are oriented parallel to one another and antiparallel to the \(\mathrm{Fe}^{3+}\) ions in \(d\) sites. Compute the number of Bohr magnetons associated with each \(\mathrm{Sm}^{3+}\) ion, given the following information: (1) each unit cell consists of eight for mula \(\left(\mathrm{Sm}_{3} \mathrm{Fe}_{5} \mathrm{O}_{12}\right)\) units; (2) the unit cell is cubic with an edge length of \(1.2529 \mathrm{nm}\) (3) the saturation magnetization for this material is \(1.35 \times 10^{5} \mathrm{A} / \mathrm{m} ;\) and (4) assume that there are 5 Bohr magnetons associated with each \(\mathrm{Fe}^{3+}\) ion.

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