Question

Which of the following minerals is a weak magnetic mineral?

• A. magnetite
• B. allanite
• C. hematite
• D. axinite

Hint:

Allanite = weak magnetism; magnetite = strong; hematite = conditional.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

To determine which of the given minerals is weakly magnetic, we analyze their magnetic properties:

1. Understanding Magnetic Minerals:
Minerals exhibit varying degrees of magnetism:

• Ferromagnetic: Strongly magnetic (e.g., magnetite).
• Paramagnetic: Weakly attracted to magnetic fields (e.g., allanite).
• Diamagnetic: Non-magnetic or repelled by magnetic fields (e.g., axinite).

2. Evaluating the Options:
- Magnetite (Fe₃O₄): Strongly ferromagnetic (ruled out).
- Hematite (Fe₂O₃): Weakly magnetic but can show stronger magnetism when impure.
- Allanite: A rare-earth mineral with weak paramagnetism due to iron/rare-earth content.
- Axinite: Diamagnetic (non-magnetic).

3. Why Allanite is Correct:
While hematite is sometimes considered weakly magnetic, allanite is consistently classified as paramagnetic with weaker attraction than even impure hematite. Axinite is non-magnetic, making it less suitable as a "weak magnetic" answer than allanite.

Final Answer:
The weakly magnetic mineral is allanite.