When a paramagnetic material is in an external magnetic field is it attracted towards the source or the sink of the external field? or is it niether
It is not exactly attracted nor repelled. When a paramagnetic material is in an external magnetic field it appears an induced magnetic field inside the material with the same sense that the external field. That makes a stable configuration from an energetic point of view. We can say than the paramagnetic material feels attraction by the external magnetic field. On the contrary, when a diamagnetic material is in an external magnetic field it appears an opposite induced magnetic field inside the material that makes a instable configuration from an energetic point of view. We can say than the diamagnetic material feels repulsion by the external magnetic field. The extreme case of a diamagnetic material is a superconductor that really avoids the magnetic field penetrate inside. That's make superconductor levitates by Meisner effect. Also you can make graphite to levitate because graphite is a very diamagnetic material. Bye.
