Question

Which of the following shows hysteresis?

• A. Paramagnetic materials
• B. Ferromagnetic materials
• C. Diamagnetic materials
• D. None of these

Hint:

Hysteresis is characteristic of ferromagnetic materials and is important in memory devices and transformers.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Ferromagnetic materials exhibit hysteresis, which is the lag between the change in magnetization of the material and the applied external magnetic field. This phenomenon occurs because the magnetic domains within the material — regions where atomic magnetic moments are aligned — do not instantly realign when the external field changes. As the magnetic field is varied, these domains gradually grow or shrink, causing the magnetization to change with some delay. When the external field is reduced to zero, the material retains some magnetization (remanence), and an opposing field (coercivity) is required to bring the magnetization back to zero. This behavior is represented graphically by a hysteresis loop, which illustrates the energy loss in the form of heat during the magnetization and demagnetization cycles.