Chapter 36, Problem 26A

Why can iron be made to behave as a magnet while wood connot?

To determine

To explain: Iron can behave as a magnet but wood cannot.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

• Magnetism is a type of force which attracts or repels those objects which are made up of magnetic materials.
• The substance which shows the strongest magnetism in the direction of the magnetic field by applying the external magnetic field, these substances are known as ferromagnetic substance. For example: iron

Iron is attracted to the magnet because it is a ferromagnetic substance. But wood is a diamagnetic substance. And according to the definition of diamagnetic substances, these are those substances that are not attracted to the magnetic field but in actual they are slightly repelled by the magnet. So, inside the iron magnetism is induced while there is no induction of, magnetism inside the wood. Hence, the magnetic domains of the iron can be induced into the alignment.

Conclusion:

The magnetic domain of iron is aligned and will remain the same all way but wood is not, so, it behaves as a magnet while the wood is not.