The paramagnetic nature of the substance depend on;

Correct answer: C. The number of unpaired electrons

  • A. The number of electrons in the outermost shell
  • B. The number of electrons that are easily ejected
  • C. The number of unpaired electrons
  • D. The number of lone pair electrons

Explanation

A paramagnetic substance is one that is weakly attracted by a magnetic field due to the presence of unpaired electrons in its atoms or molecules. The unpaired electrons have a magnetic moment, which causes the substance to be attracted to an external magnetic field. Therefore, the correct answer is that the paramagnetic nature of a substance depends on the number of unpaired electrons. When all the electrons in an atom or molecule are paired, the substance is diamagnetic and is not attracted to a magnetic field.

This question appeared on the ETEA MDCAT 2009 paper, which you can sit online with every answer explained.

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