Abstract
The electromagnetic losses in conductors are analyzed in terms of magnetic absorption and conduction losses. The quantities observed in a magnetic resonance experiment have a different meaning depending on whether the dimensions of the sample are large or small compared to the skin depth. Explicit formulas for electric and magnetic losses are given for the case of a plane sheet and a sphere. The influence of the conductivity on the line shape and saturation effects is discussed both for nuclear and ferromagnetic resonance.