Measurement of magnetic susceptibility of diamagnetic liquids exploiting the Moses effect

Abstract

A novel comparative technique enabling measurement of the magnetic susceptibility of diamagnetic liquids with the “Moses effect” is presented. The technique is based on the experimental establishment of the deformation of the liquid/vapor interface by a steady magnetic field. The deformation of the liquid surface by a modest magnetic field (B∼0.60T) is measured with an optical technique. The surface tension of the liquid is taken into account. The magnetic susceptibilities of the investigated liquids (Ethanol and Glycerol) were calculated from the maximal slope of the liquid/air interface. The suggested approach yields an accuracy on the order of about 0.4–0.6% and hence is superior to previous methods which used the “Moses effect” for the same purpose.