Physics: Electricity and Magnetism: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Science and Technology)
1 previous year UPSC Prelims question on Physics: Electricity and Magnetism (Science and Technology). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–1 of 1 question
UPSC 1997Science and Technology · Physics: Electricity and Magnetism
Q1. Which one of the following is paramagnetic in nature?
Explanation
Paramagnetism refers to the property of a material that is weakly attracted to an external magnetic field due to the presence of unpaired electrons in its atomic or molecular structure. When placed in a magnetic field, these unpaired electrons align their magnetic moments in the direction of the field, causing a weak but positive magnetization. However, this effect disappears once the external field is removed.
Option (c) is correct: Oxygen (O₂) is paramagnetic because it has two unpaired electrons in its molecular orbital configuration, making it weakly attracted to a magnetic field. Options (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:
Iron is ferromagnetic (not always paramagnetic), meaning it is strongly attracted to magnetic fields. Hydrogen and Nitrogen are diamagnetic, meaning they are weakly repelled by magnetic fields due to their paired electrons. Directions: The following item consists of two statements, one labeled as the Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R). You have to answer this item using the code given below.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
1997
(c) Oxygen
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Physics: Electricity and Magnetism?
This page covers 1 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Physics: Electricity and Magnetism (Science and Technology), asked from 1996 to 2006. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Physics: Electricity and Magnetism?
Questions on Physics: Electricity and Magnetism (Science and Technology) are available for 6 years, from 1996 to 2006. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
