Final answer:
Paramagnetism, diamagnetism, and ferromagnetism refer to the ways materials react to a magnetic field. Paramagnetic materials temporarily enhance the field, while diamagnetic materials induce a weak, opposing field and are slightly repelled. Ferromagnetic materials, however, retain permanent magnetic dipoles after the field is removed, creating long-lasting magnetization.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences Between Paramagnetism, Diamagnetism, and Ferromagnetism
Paramagnetism, diamagnetism, and ferromagnetism are all types of magnetism exhibited by materials when exposed to a magnetic field, but they respond to it in different ways.
Paramagnetic materials have unpaired electrons that align with an applied magnetic field, enhancing the field. However, this alignment is temporary and disappears when the field is removed. Their magnetic dipoles are normally randomly oriented but become aligned under the influence of a magnetic field due to the torque exerted by the field, which competes with thermal collisions that randomize orientations.
Diamagnetic materials have no net magnetic dipole moments but develop an induced magnetic dipole in the direction opposite to the applied field when it is present. This results in a weak opposition to the external field and can lead to these materials being slightly repelled by a magnet. The effect is much weaker than in paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials because in diamagnetism, the induced dipole is not masked by any permanent magnetic dipoles.
Ferromagnetic materials exhibit strong magnetic effects. In these materials, the atoms act as small magnets and can be aligned within regions called domains. Unlike paramagnetism, when an external magnetic field is applied to a ferromagnetic material like iron, the material's magnetic dipoles become permanently aligned, even when the external field is removed, creating a long-lasting magnetization through a process called hysteresis. This effect is unique to ferromagnetic materials.