# Liquid Oxygen and Magnets

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquid-oxygen-and-magnets/157771>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 27, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquid-oxygen-and-magnets/157771 "2003-02-27T01:02:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquid-oxygen-and-magnets/157771/1 "2003-02-27T01:02:10Z")

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I have a vague memory of an illustration in a scientific textbook of liquid oxygen being drawn between the poles of a horseshoe magnet.

Is liquid oxygen magnetic?

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**Author:** ![andy\_fl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquid-oxygen-and-magnets/157771/2 "2003-02-27T01:16:08Z")

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Yes liquid oxygen is paramagnetic. [See pics here](http://demoroom.physics.ncsu.edu/html/demos/188.html).

Oxygen is dimagnetic (IIRC) as a gas and this property is widely used in oxygen flowmeters.