Magnetism and MatterNEET MCQs with solutions
Magnetism and Matter covers magnetic dipoles, Earth's magnetism, magnetic properties of materials (dia-, para-, ferromagnetic), magnetic susceptibility, permeability and hysteresis. NEET tests classification of materials, magnetic moment, susceptibility values and Earth's magnetic elements.
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- 12 Physics
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- 469 questions
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Practise 24 questions
Tap an option to check it. Questions from every NCERT topic in this chapter, from easy to hard.
Q1Grand Test
According to Gauss's law for magnetism, the net magnetic flux through any closed surface is
Not quite — the answer is A.
Magnetic monopoles do not exist, so field lines form closed loops with no net flux through any closed surface. Hence ∮B·dA = 0 always. Options B and D incorrectly assume enclosed magnetic sources exist.
Q2Grand Test
A compass needle allowed to move only in a horizontal plane is taken to a geomagnetic pole. It will
Not quite — the answer is B.
At a geomagnetic pole, Earth's field is purely vertical. A needle constrained to the horizontal plane sees zero horizontal component, so no torque acts and it rests in any orientation. Options C and D assume a preferred horizontal direction, which is absent.
Q3Magnetic Field due to a Magnetic Dipole (Axial & Equatorial)
A short magnetic dipole has magnetic moment M directed from south pole to north pole. The direction of magnetic field at a point on its axial line (on the north side) is
Not quite — the answer is B.
The axial field is along the magnetic moment M. Since M points S to N, the axial field on the north side also points from south to north (same direction as M). Students often confuse axial direction with equatorial antiparallel rule.
Q4Magnetic Field due to a Magnetic Dipole (Axial & Equatorial)
A short magnetic dipole of moment M is oriented along the x-axis. At a point on the equatorial plane, the magnetic field is directed
Not quite — the answer is D.
The equatorial field is antiparallel to the magnetic moment M. Since M is along +x, the equatorial field points along −x axis. Option A is the axial field direction — the most common confusion students make.
Q5Magnetism and Gauss's Law
The net magnetic flux through any closed surface is
Not quite — the answer is A.
Gauss's law for magnetism states ∮B·dA = 0 for every closed surface. This reflects the non-existence of isolated magnetic monopoles — field lines entering any closed surface must also leave it.
Q6Magnetism and Gauss's Law
The magnetic flux through an open surface placed in a non-uniform magnetic field is
Not quite — the answer is D.
Gauss's law for magnetism requires zero net flux only over a closed surface. For an open surface, the flux ∫B·dA is generally non-zero and depends on the magnitude and direction of B over the chosen surface. Option A is the most common error — students overapply the closed-surface result to open surfaces.
Q7Magnetisation and Magnetic Intensity
The magnetisation of a magnetic material is defined as
Not quite — the answer is C.
Magnetisation M is the net magnetic dipole moment per unit volume of the material, M = m_net/V. Its SI unit is A m⁻¹. Options A and D confuse B and flux with the dipole-moment definition.
Q8Magnetisation and Magnetic Intensity
The SI unit of magnetic intensity H is
Not quite — the answer is A.
Magnetic intensity H has SI unit A m⁻¹, same as magnetisation M. Magnetic field B has SI unit tesla. Students commonly confuse H with B and select tesla, making option B the primary trap.
Q9Earth's Magnetic Elements
The three quantities that completely specify the magnetic field of Earth at a place are
Not quite — the answer is A.
The three magnetic elements of Earth are declination (D), angle of dip (δ), and horizontal component (H). Vertical component is derived from H and δ and is not an independent element.
Q10Earth's Magnetic Elements
At a place on Earth's surface, the horizontal component of Earth's magnetic field is H and the vertical component is V. If the angle of dip is δ, which relation is correct?
Not quite — the answer is C.
Resolving total field B along horizontal and vertical gives H = B cosδ and V = B sinδ. Option A swaps sin and cos — the most common component-resolution error in this topic.
Q11Magnetic Properties of Materials
Which type of magnetic material is weakly repelled by an external magnetic field?
Not quite — the answer is C.
Diamagnetic materials develop an induced magnetic moment opposite to the applied field and are therefore weakly repelled from regions of stronger field toward weaker-field regions. Paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials are attracted toward stronger fields.
Q12Magnetic Properties of Materials
For a diamagnetic material, the magnetic susceptibility χ and relative permeability μᵣ satisfy which condition?
Not quite — the answer is B.
For diamagnetic materials χ is small and negative. Since μᵣ = 1 + χ, a negative χ makes μᵣ slightly less than 1. Option D is the trap for students who correctly identify χ < 0 but then incorrectly conclude μᵣ > 1.
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Get RankUp on Google PlayQ13Hysteresis, Permanent Magnets & Electromagnets
The phenomenon in which the magnetisation of a ferromagnetic material lags behind the magnetising field during cyclic magnetisation is called
Not quite — the answer is A.
Hysteresis is the lag of magnetisation (B) behind the applied magnetising field (H) during cyclic magnetisation. Retentivity and coercivity are properties read from the hysteresis loop, not the loop phenomenon itself.
Q14Hysteresis, Permanent Magnets & Electromagnets
The magnitude of the reverse magnetising field required to reduce the residual magnetisation of a ferromagnetic material to zero is called
Not quite — the answer is B.
Coercivity is the reverse H needed to bring B to zero after magnetisation. Retentivity is the B retained when H=0, a common confusion. Permeability relates B to H but is not a hysteresis loop intercept.
Q15Torque on a Magnetic Dipole
The torque acting on a magnetic dipole of magnetic moment M placed in a uniform magnetic field B at an angle θ with the field is
Not quite — the answer is B.
Torque τ = MB sinθ from the cross product τ = M × B. It is maximum at 90° and zero at 0° and 180°. Option A is the potential energy formula component, not torque.
Q16Torque on a Magnetic Dipole
A magnetic dipole of moment 0.5 A m² is placed in a uniform magnetic field of 0.4 T at 30° to the field. The magnitude of torque is
Not quite — the answer is C.
τ = MB sinθ = 0.5 × 0.4 × sin30° = 0.10 N m. Option B arises from omitting sin30° entirely. Option A arises from using cos30° instead of sin30°.
Q17Magnetic Dipole and Magnetic Dipole Moment
The magnetic dipole moment of a bar magnet is defined as the product of its pole strength and its
Not quite — the answer is B.
M = m × 2l, where m is pole strength (A·m) and 2l is the magnetic length — the distance between the two poles. It is unrelated to magnetic field, permeability, or volume. The magnetic length (2l) is slightly less than the geometric length of the magnet.
Q18Magnetic Dipole and Magnetic Dipole Moment
A bar magnet has pole strength 2 A·m and magnetic length 0.15 m. Its magnetic dipole moment is
Not quite — the answer is D.
M = m × 2l = 2 × 0.15 = 0.30 A m². Option A (2.15) adds instead of multiplying. Option B (13.33) divides pole strength by length. Option C (0.15) ignores pole strength entirely — a direct formula-recall failure.
Q19Bar Magnet and Magnetic Field Lines
A freely suspended bar magnet always comes to rest along which direction?
Not quite — the answer is A.
Earth's magnetic field runs approximately along the geographical north-south direction. A freely suspended magnet aligns with this field, so it settles along geographical north-south. East-west alignment is a common confusion with geographic orientation.
Q20Bar Magnet and Magnetic Field Lines
A stronger magnetic field is represented by:
Not quite — the answer is C.
Magnetic field strength is directly proportional to the density (number per unit area) of field lines. Closer lines mean greater density, hence stronger field. Farther apart means weaker field — the most common reversal error.
Q21Bar Magnet as an Equivalent Solenoid
The magnetic field pattern produced by a bar magnet most closely resembles that produced by a
Not quite — the answer is C.
NCERT explicitly states that the field-line pattern of a bar magnet closely resembles that of a current-carrying finite solenoid. Neither a capacitor, point charge, nor uniformly charged sphere produces a closed-loop dipole field pattern matching a bar magnet.
Q22Bar Magnet as an Equivalent Solenoid
For a finite solenoid, the magnetic field at a large distance along its axis is proportional to
Not quite — the answer is B.
At large distances, both the axial field of a bar magnet and an equivalent solenoid vary as 1/r³ — the characteristic dipole dependence. The 1/r dependence applies to a long straight wire; 1/r² applies to a point charge field. These are the two most common distractor errors.
Q23Earth as a Giant Magnet
The Earth behaves approximately like a giant magnetic dipole. The magnetic poles of the Earth are located
Not quite — the answer is A.
Earth's magnetic poles lie close to but not coincident with geographic poles — the tilt is approximately 11.3°. Option B is the classic trap; poles are near but never exactly coincident.
Q24Earth as a Giant Magnet
A compass needle freely suspended at a place on Earth aligns approximately along the
Not quite — the answer is B.
A compass needle responds to the horizontal component of Earth's field and aligns along the magnetic meridian. Option A is the trap — it aligns along magnetic, not geographic, north-south.
ELITE question · AIR under 50 level
This chapter has 191 ELITE questions for students aiming at the very top. They are only in the app.
Unlock ELITE questions in the appKey Magnetism Concepts
Quick revision: most questions in this chapter test these facts.
| Concept | Key Fact |
|---|---|
| Diamagnetic | χ < 0; weakly repelled; no unpaired electrons (Cu, Bi, H₂O) |
| Paramagnetic | 0 < χ < small; weakly attracted; unpaired electrons (Al, O₂, Na) |
| Ferromagnetic | χ >> 1; strongly attracted; domains align (Fe, Co, Ni) |
| Curie's law | χ = C/T (paramagnetic); above Curie temp, ferromagnetic → paramagnetic |
| Earth's magnetism | Declination (angle with geographic N); Inclination/Dip (angle with horizontal) |
| Magnetic moment | M = NIA (current loop); torque τ = M × B = MB sinθ |
What the app covers in this chapter
469 questions in total, each with a detailed explanation.
| Grand Test | 96 |
| Magnetic Field due to a Magnetic Dipole (Axial & Equatorial) | 40 |
| Magnetism and Gauss's Law | 40 |
| Magnetisation and Magnetic Intensity | 40 |
| Earth's Magnetic Elements | 39 |
| Magnetic Properties of Materials | 39 |
| Hysteresis, Permanent Magnets & Electromagnets | 38 |
| Torque on a Magnetic Dipole | 37 |
| Magnetic Dipole and Magnetic Dipole Moment | 32 |
| Bar Magnet and Magnetic Field Lines | 30 |
| Bar Magnet as an Equivalent Solenoid | 20 |
| Earth as a Giant Magnet | 18 |
Questions students ask
Is Magnetism and Matter important for NEET?
Moderately — classification of magnetic materials, susceptibility and Curie's law are tested. Questions are mostly conceptual.
Which topics should I revise first?
Focus on dia/para/ferromagnetic properties with susceptibility values, Curie's law and Curie temperature, Earth's magnetic elements (declination, dip), and hysteresis curve interpretation.
How many questions from this chapter are on RankUp?
The RankUp app has 469 questions on Magnetism and Matter, including 191 ELITE questions. Every question has a detailed explanation.
