Rare Earth Magnet Basics / Glossary of Magnet Terms / Diamagnetism
- Diamagnetism
- A magnetic characteristic in which the magnetic moments in the material are oriented in various random directions in the absence of an external magnetic field such that the body as a whole is not magnetized, but that when an external magnetic field is applied, the body is magnetized in the opposite direction and proportional to the intensity of the magnetic field. A material that demonstrates this magnetic property is called a diamagnetic body. This property is seen in inert gases, such metals as copper, gold, silver, and zinc, and in organic compounds.
