Step 1: Concept
Magnetic susceptibility measures the degree to which a material can be magnetized in response to an applied magnetic field. It is defined as the ratio of the magnetization of a material to the applied magnetic field.
Step 2: Meaning
Paramagnetic materials have positive magnetic susceptibility, meaning they are slightly attracted by an external magnetic field.
Ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials (collectively known as ferromagnetic) have strong positive magnetic susceptibility, leading to permanent magnetism.
Diamagnetic materials have negative magnetic susceptibility, indicating a weak repulsion from the applied magnetic field.
Step 3: Analysis
To understand why diamagnetic materials exhibit negative magnetic susceptibility, consider their atomic structure. Diamagnetic materials contain paired electrons in all orbitals, resulting in no net magnetic moment at the atomic level. When an external magnetic field is applied, these materials experience a weak repulsion due to the induced currents that oppose the external field.
In contrast:
Paramagnetic materials have unpaired electrons, which align with the external magnetic field, leading to positive susceptibility.
Ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials have regions of aligned magnetic moments, resulting in strong positive susceptibility.
Superconducting materials do not exhibit significant magnetization due to their unique quantum mechanical properties, but they are generally diamagnetic (negative susceptibility) when considering the Meissner effect.
Step 4: Conclusion
Diamagnetic materials show a negative magnetic susceptibility because they weakly repel from an applied magnetic field.
Final Answer: (D)