Which set comprises the three basic properties of magnetism?

• A. Permeability, retentivity, saturation
• B. Reluctance, permeability, conductivity
• C. Permeability, reluctance, retentivity
• D. Flux, Resistance, Capacitance

Answer: (C)

The key idea is understanding the properties that describe how a magnetic material responds and behaves in a magnetic field. Permeability tells us how easily a material becomes magnetized when exposed to a magnetic field—the higher the permeability, the more readily flux passes through. Reluctance is the opposition the material offers to the flow of magnetic flux, similar to resistance in an electric circuit. Retentivity (also called remanence) describes how much magnetization remains in the material once the external magnetizing force is removed, essentially its memory of the field.

These three together cover how readily a material is magnetized, how much it resists flux, and how much magnetization sticks around after the field is gone. That’s why permeability, reluctance, and retentivity form the correct trio. The other options mix in properties that aren’t magnetic characteristics—such as saturation, which is a limiting behavior on the magnetization curve; or electrical properties like conductivity, or circuit quantities like flux, resistance, and capacitance—so they don’t fit as the basic magnetic properties.