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Magnetic liquid oxygen
Why is liquid oxygen
attracted to a magnet?
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This
picture shows a powerful magnet. |
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Let's
pour liquid nitrogen on the poles of the magnet and observe its behavior.
Liquid nitrogen is kept cold in this insulated glass flask called
a Dewar. |
Click on the small
pictures to see the video.
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The
glass tube contains liquid O2. The liquified gas is pale
blue in color. |
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Video
for Windows
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Quicktime
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Liquid
oxygen is attracted to and actually sticks to the poles of the magnet.
The liquid O2 remains between the poles until it evaporates
in the warm atmosphere. |
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Liquid
O2 sticks to a magnet while liquid N2 does not
because of differences in electron distribution. One possible Lewis
structure for O2 shows an unpaired electron on each oxygen
atom. Molecules with unpaired electrons are called paramagnetic and
exhibit magnetic properties. |
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The
Lewis structure of N2 does not have unpaired electrons.
Molecules with no unpaired electrons that do not exhibit magnetic
properties are called diamagnetic. |
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