International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)

ISSN: 2319-7064
ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426

Measurement of Susceptibility of a Liquid or a

Solution by Quincke’s Method
Chaudhari Devanand Prakash1, Gopal Panda2

Abstract: Here we measure susceptibility of given solution (MnSO4. H2O) by quinkes method.

Keywords: Quincke’s Method

1. Introduction
The Quincke’s method is used to determine magnetic
susceptibility of diamagnetic or paramagnetic substances in
the form of a liquid or an aqueous solution. When an object
is placed in a magnetic field, a magnetic moment is induced
in it. Magnetic susceptibility X is the ratio of the
magnetization I (magnetic moment per unit volume) to the
applied magnetizing field intensity H. The magnetic moment
can be measured either by force methods, which involve the
measurement of the force exerted on the sample by an
inhomogeneous magnetic field or induction methods where
the voltage induced in an electrical circuit is measured by
varying magnetic moment. The Quincke’s method like the
Gouy’s method belongs to the former class. The force f on
the sample is negative of the gradient of the change in
energy density when the sample is placed,

Here µ0 is permeability of the free space and µr χ and µra, Xa

are respectively relative permeability and susceptibility of
the sample and the air which the sample displaces. The force
acting on an element of area A and length dx of the liquid
column is fAdx, so the total force F on the liquid is

where the integral is taken over the whole liquid. This means
that H is equal to the field at the liquid surface between the
poles of the magnet and H0 is the field at the other surface
away from the magnet. The liquid (density ρ) moves under
the action of this force until it is balanced by the pressure
exerted over the area A due to a height difference h between
the liquid surfaces in the two arms of the U-tube. It follows
that

This equation shows that by plotting h as a function of H2,

the susceptibility X (called the volume susceptibility) can be
In actual practice Xa, density of air ρa and H0 are negligible determined directly from the slope of the straight line graph.
and can be ignored and the above expression simplifies to It is a dimensionless quantity. This expression is in S.I. units
in which ρ, g, h and H are measured in kg/m, m/s, m and
amp.turn/m respectively.

Volume 8 Issue 12, December 2019

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Paper ID: ART20203079 DOI: 10.21275/ART20203079 196
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN: 2319-7064
ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426
where ρ, g, h and H are measured in g/cm3, cm/s2, cm and bottle is w1, filled with specimen w2 and filled with water
gauss respectively. The volume susceptibilities in the two w3, then
systems of units are related as X (SI units) = 4πX (CGS
units).
Brief description of the apparatus 3) Scrupulous cleaning of the tube is essential. Thoroughly
1) Quinck’s tube with stand. clean the Quincke’s tube, rinse it well with distilled water
2) Sample : MnSO4.H2O and dry it (preferably with dry compressed air). Do not
3) R.D. Bottle. use the tube for longer than one laboratory period
4) Travelling Microscope, TVM-02 without recleaning it.
Horizontal scale: 180mm with screw gauge type motion. 4) Keep the Quincke’s tube between the pole pieces of the
Vertical scale: 150mm with screw gauge type motion.
magnet as shown in Fig.1. The length of the horizontal
Least count: 0.01mm on both scales.
connecting limb should be sufficient to keep the wide
5) Electromagnet, EMU-50T
limb out of the magnetic field.
Pole Pieces: φ 50mm tapered to φ 20mm.
5) Fill the liquid in the tube and set the meniscus centrally
Field: 9.5 KG at 10mm air-gap.
within the pole pieces as shown. Focus the microscope
on the meniscus and take reading.
6) Constant Current Power Supply, DPS-50
6) Apply the magnetic field H and note its value from the
Current: -0-4 A (Smoothly adjustable)
calibration, which is done earlier as an auxiliary
Line sload Regulation : ± 0.1%.
experiment. Note whether the meniscus rises up or
7) Digital Gaussmeter, DGM-102
descends down. It rises up for paramagnetic liquids and
Range: 0-2 KG & 0-20 KG
solutions while descends down for diamagnetics.
Accuracy: ± 0.5%
Readjust the microscope on the meniscus and take
reading. The difference of these two readings gives h for
Detailed specifications are as per the datasheets.
the field H. The magnetic field between the poles of the
magnet does not drop to zero even when the current is
The apparatus is complete in all respect, except a Chemical
switched off. There is a residual magnetic field R which
Balance required for measuring weights.
requires a correction.
7) Measure the displacement h as a function of applied field
H by changing the magnet current in small steps. Plot a
graph of h as a function of H 2.

4. Results
The mass susceptibility X ′ is given by X /ρ and the molar
susceptibility X′′ by MX ′ where M is the molecular weight of
the specimen. In the case of solutions, correction must be
Figure 1: Schematic of Quinck’s Setup made for the diamagnetic contribution of water. If the
number of water molecules per unit volume is not very
different in the solution from that in pure water,
2. Experimental Set Up
A schematic diagram of Quincke’s set up is shown in Fig.1. In general if ms is the mass of the salt dissolved in mw of
One limb of the glass U-tube is very narrow (about 2 - 3 mm water,
in diameter) and the other one quite wide. The result is that a
change in the level of the liquid in the narrow limb does not
affect the level in the wider limb. The narrow limb is placed
between the pole pieces of an electromagnet shown as N-S
such that the meniscus of the liquid lies symmetrically
between N-S. The length of the limb should be sufficient
enough to keep the lower extreme end of this limb well In a paramagnetic substance there are non-interacting
outside the field of the magnet. The rise or fall h on applying permanent magnetic dipoles. The magnetizing field tends to
the field is measured by means of a traveling microscope align these parallel to the field. Thermal effects on the other
fitted with a micrometer scale of least count of order 10 -3 hand tend to destroy this alignment. The result is that, for kT
cm. >>µ0µBH, the volume susceptibility Xsalt at temperature T is
given by
3. Experimental Procedure
1) Test and ensure that each unit (Electromagnet and Power
Supply) is functioning properly
2) Measure the density ρ of the specimen (liquid or
solution) by specific gravity bottle. If the mass of empty where k is Boltzmann constant, N (= NA ρsalt /M) is the
number of ions per unit volume and µB is Bohr magneton. p
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Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20203079 DOI: 10.21275/ART20203079 197
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN: 2319-7064
ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426
is the magneton number which may be calculated from the Procedure:
measured value of χ salt ( or X ′salt = X salt / ρsalt ) and 1) Fix the air gap between the pole pieces of the
compared with the theoretical value depending on L, S and J electromagnet to the minimum distance required to insert
of the magnetic ion as given in Appendix I. Eq.10 expresses Quinck’s tube without touching the pole pieces.
Curie law and the constant C is called the Curie constant. 2) Measure the air gap. Each time the air gap changes, the
The above expression assumes that the magnetic field acting graph will change.
on each ion is just the applied field and contributions due to 3) Mount the Hall probe of the Digital Gaussmeter, DGM-
neighbouring magnetic ions are neglected. For dilute 102 in the wooden stand provided and place it at the
paramagnetic materials this approximation is valid. centre of the air gap such that the surface of the probe is
parallel to the pole pieces. The small black crystal in the
Record of Observations And Calculation probe is its transducer, so this part should be at the centre
of the air gap.
(The following is a record of observations corresponding to 4) Connect the leads of the Electromagnet to the Power
an experiment performed with MnSO4.H2O in our Supply, bring the current potentiometer of the Power
laboratory). Supply to the minimum. Switch on the Power Supply and
the Gaussmeter.
1) Preparation of solution 5) Slowly raise the current in the Power Supply and note the
magnetic field reading in the Gaussmeter.
(a) Mass of beaker (mb) = 29.857 g 6) Plot the graph between the current and the magnetic
Mass of beaker + water (mbw) = 62.585 g field. This graph will be linear for small values of the
Mass of beaker + water + salt (mbws)= 82.565 g current and then the slope will decrease as magnetic
Mass of water (mw = mbw - mb) = 32.728 g saturation occurs in the material of the pole pieces.
Mass of dissolved salt (ms = mbws - mbw)= 19.980 g
Table 1
Table 1 S.No. Current (A) Magnetic Field (KG)
1 0 0.34
2 1 2.26
3 1.5 3.35
4 2 4.4
5 2.5 5.34
6 3 6.19
7 3.5 6.91
8 4 7.47

(b) Determination of density ρ:

Mass of specific gravity bottle (w1) = 19.698 g

Mass of specific gravity bottle + water (w3) = 44.973
g
Mass of specific gravity bottle + solution (w2) = 56.173
g

Figure: Rise of solution level (h) as a function of magnetic

field (H)
2) Ambient Temperature 293 K While performing the Quinck’s tube experiment, if the air
gap is kept same as in the above experiment, you can
3) Calibration of magnetic filed as a function magnetizing determine the magnetic field at any specific current, just by
current:- looking at the graph. Note there may also be some magnetic
hysteresis present and for a given current, the field may be
slightly different, depending on whether the current is
increasing or decreasing.

Volume 8 Issue 12, December 2019

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Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20203079 DOI: 10.21275/ART20203079 198
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN: 2319-7064
ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426
Rise of solution level (h) as a function of magnetic field References
(H):-
[1] S. Grant and W.R. Phillips, “Electromagnetism”, (Wiley)
[2] http://www.agoenvironmental.com/sites/default/files/pdf/
Table 2 diamagnetic%20element% 20list.pdf
Height of Rise of
Current H
S.No. H2 (KG2) liquid level solution h
(A) (KG)
(mm) (mm)
1 0 0.34 0.12 10.14 0
2 1 2.26 5.11 10.81 0.67
3 1.5 3.35 11.22 11.78 1.64
4 2 4.4 19.36 13.09 2.95
5 2.5 5.34 28.52 14.53 4.39
6 3 6.19 38.32 16.12 5.98
7 3.5 6.91 47.75 17.57 7.43
8 4 7.47 55.8 18.38 8.74

From the graph of h vs H2

Calculation:

X= 45.14 x 10-6

= 83.7 x 10-6x 169

= 14145 x 10-6 C.G.S. unit

Internationally accepted value of X′′ for MnSO4.H2O at 293

°K is 14200 x 10-6

Appendix I
Some constants and conversion factors:

Volume 8 Issue 12, December 2019

www.ijsr.net
Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20203079 DOI: 10.21275/ART20203079 199