Magnetic susceptibility measurements
The Guoy balance instrument available at the department of Chemistry measures the apparent change in the mass of the sample as it is repelled or attracted by the region of high magnetic field between the poles. When the field is switched on, the magnetic force manifests as an apparent weight change of the sample. The force can easily be measured in terms of a weight by determining the new weight of the sample. This is known as a Guoy balance method. A sample containing paramagnetic compound will be pulled down towards the magnetic field and will provide a positive difference in the apparent mass. In such samples, the magnetic induction is stronger than the applied field and magnetic susceptibility is positive.
The magnetic properties of complexes in terms of unpaired electrons and their magnetic or spin properties are useful in determining structural features in transition metal compounds. Complexes that contain unpaired electrons are paramagnetic and are attracted by magnetic fields. A compound can still have a net paramagnetic character because of the large paramagnetic susceptibility of the unpaired electrons. The number of unpaired electrons can be determined by the magnitude of the interaction of the metal compound with a magnetic field.
Magnetic Susceptibility – Gouy’s Method