Curie's Law of susceptibility is a principle in physics that describes the relationship between the magnetic susceptibility of a material and its temperature. It applies to paramagnetic materials, which are materials that become magnetized in the presence of an external magnetic field but do not retain magnetization once the field is removed.
Curie's Law states that:
The magnetic susceptibility \(\chi\) of a paramagnetic material is inversely proportional to its temperature \(T\). Mathematically, it's written as:
\[
\chi = \frac{C}{T}
\]
Where:
- \(\chi\) is the magnetic susceptibility (a measure of how easily a material becomes magnetized in an external magnetic field).
- \(C\) is the Curie constant (a material-specific constant).
- \(T\) is the absolute temperature in Kelvin (K).
Key Points:
- As temperature increases, the susceptibility of the material decreases. This means that at higher temperatures, the material becomes less magnetically responsive.
- As temperature decreases, the susceptibility increases, and the material becomes more magnetically responsive.
- This relationship holds true only for paramagnetic materials and within a certain temperature range.
Curie's Law helps explain the behavior of materials like oxygen, aluminum, and other weakly paramagnetic substances. It's important for understanding how temperature influences the magnetic properties of materials.