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Diamagnetism facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Diamagnetism is a type of magnetism. They very weakly repel magnets. Most substances are diamagnetic. It was discovered in 1778 when someone saw that bismuth and antimony repelled a magnet. Diamagnetic things can be levitated. A frog was levitated in a very strong magnet. Water can be repelled by a magnet because it is diamagnetic. It is too weak to be noticed normally, though.

Images for kids

  • Diamagnetic graphite levitation

    Pyrolytic carbon has one of the largest diamagnetic constants of any room temperature material. Here a pyrolytic carbon sheet is levitated by its repulsion from the strong magnetic field of neodymium magnets.

  • On keeping diamagnetic materials in a magnetic field, the electron orbital motion changes in such a way that magnetic dipole moments are induced on the atoms / molecules in the direction opposite to the external magnetic field as shown in figure

    Diamagnetic material interaction in magnetic field.

  • EXPULSION

    Transition from ordinary conductivity (left) to superconductivity (right). At the transition, the superconductor expels the magnetic field and then acts as a perfect diamagnet.

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