This document classifies and defines different types of magnetic materials:
- Ferromagnetic materials can form permanent magnets and are strongly attracted to magnetic fields. Ferrimagnetic materials also have populations of atoms with opposing but unequal magnetic moments.
- Paramagnetic materials are only attracted to external magnetic fields and have relative permeability greater than 1.
- Diamagnetic materials are repelled by external magnetic fields and have relative permeability less than 1. Diamagnetism is a weak quantum effect in all materials.