Paramagnetism is a form of
magnetism whereby certain materials are attracted by an externally applied
magnetic field, and form internal,
induced magnetic fields in the direction of the applied magnetic field. In contrast with this behavior,
diamagnetic materials are repelled by magnetic fields and form induced magnetic fields in the direction opposite to that of the applied magnetic field. Paramagnetic materials include most
chemical elements and some compounds; they have a relative
magnetic permeability greater than or equal to 1 (i.e., a positive
magnetic susceptibility) and hence are attracted to magnetic fields. The
magnetic moment induced by the applied field is linear in the field strength and rather weak. It typically requires a sensitive analytical balance to detect the effect and modern measurements on paramagnetic materials are often conducted with a
SQUID magnetometer.