What is meant by paramagnetism?
Paramagnetism was originally studied and discovered by British scientist Michael Faraday, and this type of magnetism can be found in materials with a certain atomic structure. In a nonmagnetic environment, a paramagnet shows no magnetic properties, whereas in a magnetic field it immediately becomes magnetic again. This happens because the electrons in the atoms of the material are only able to align in a certain direction, which creates a magnetic field. Paramagnetism is also inversely proportional to temperature, which means that lower temperatures cause stronger magnetic fields. Compounds containing materials such as platinum and iron are especially likely to create very strong paramagnets. However, some paramagnetic materials become magnetic under all conditions, while others need a certain temperature to show magnetic properties.