Magnetic susceptibility measures a material’s sensitivity to magnetic fields. Tests can provide information on a sample’s composition and structure. Technicians must control the environment to obtain accurate results. Ratios greater than one indicate susceptibility. Laboratory equipment is available to measure magnetic susceptibility.
Magnetic susceptibility reflects the degree of sensitivity of a material to magnetic fields. Some materials are highly susceptible to and will become magnetized in response to magnetic fields, while others resist magnetism, depending on their composition. It is possible to test this characteristic in the laboratory to obtain an absolute measurement that can provide information about a sample of interest. Such tests may be a routine part of assessments of certain geological samples where researchers want to learn more about their structure and composition.
In a test to determine magnetic susceptibility, the technician must control the environment to limit interference and generate usable and replicable results. These measurements are temperature dependent, which makes it important to conduct tests at a stable temperature. Magnetic fields in the environment should also be controlled to keep the measurements clean. Standardized equipment is available to hold the sample, generate a magnetic field, and record the results.
Engineers can express magnetic susceptibility as the ratio of the amount of magnetism induced in the sample to the amount generated by the field. Ratios greater than one are indicative of magnetic susceptibility. Some materials can generate very high ratios, indicating they are highly susceptible. If no response is induced, the material has zero susceptibility. Graphs are available to provide information on the susceptibility of known materials under controlled conditions.
Test results can be compared to graphs by a technician interested in finding out what is inside a sample. Other properties can be measured with additional tests to collect more data. Multiple samples from the same area can be tested to generate a graph, mapping changes in susceptibility over a given area of land. All of this information can be useful for mapping the content and structure of rock and soil formations for activities such as prospecting and fieldwork.
Laboratory equipment to measure magnetic susceptibility is available from scientific suppliers, especially those who focus on geology. It is also possible to build test units, if a researcher is comfortable with designing and assembling test components. Known reference materials can be used to calibrate the equipment to confirm that it is functional before testing unknown samples. This calibration is important to ensure the validity of the test results. When the test is used in scientific research, the calibration and test methods should be discussed in the report for the benefit of readers and reviewers.
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