Magnetic Force

What is magnetic force and what causes it to happen in a material?How do magnets work?

What are poles in magnets?How do magnetic poles repel and attract each other?

What are some objects that a magnet will attract? What are some objects that a magnet will not attract?

How are electromagnets made and used?

What is magnetic energy and what causes it to happen in a material?

Magnetism is the invisible force where objects are attracted or repelled to one another. Usually these objects are metals such as iron. Magnetism acts between objects that are apart or touching.

Magnetism is contained inside the atoms that make up a material. When the electrons and protons inside the atoms of a material become aligned in a certain way, polarity is created. Then the material will have magnetic force.

Magnetism can only be created in a material. Depending on strength of the magnet, objects that enter the area around it may become magnetic, also. This area around a magnet is called its magnetic field.

What materials are magnetic?

Some minerals, or the rocks that contain them, are naturally magnetic. Iron, lodestone, nickel, and cobalt are some examples.

Some materials are always magnetic, like those in refrigerator magnets.

Other materials can be magnetized by being near a magnet. The nails on the lodestone above are also magnetized.

Electricity can be used to create magnets, called electromagnets.

What are poles in magnets?

The magnetic force surrounding a magnet is not the same throughout the magnet. The force is concentrated at the ends of the magnet, not in the middle.

You can prove this fact by dipping a magnet into iron filings, as shown these pictures. Many filings will cling to the ends of the magnet, while very few will stick to the center.

The two ends, which are the regions of concentrated lines of force, are called the poles of the magnet. Magnets have two magnetic poles. Both poles have equal magnetic strength.                     

How do magnetic poles repel and attract each other?

At the poles of a magnet, the magnetic strength is most powerful. These poles are called north and south. The poles are called this because, when a magnet is suspended, the magnet will line up in a north - south direction. (This occurs because of the polarity of the Earth, which is really a giant magnet! Earth’s magnetic north is near the North Pole. This is why a compass works, too.)

How do magnetic poles repel and attract each other?Opposite poles attract; similar poles repel.

N-N, S-S = no attraction: When the north pole of one magnet is placed near the north pole of another magnet, the poles are repelled. When the south poles of two magnets are placed near one another, they also are repelled from one another.

N-S, S-N = attraction: When the north and south poles of two magnets are placed near one another, they are attracted to one another.

The strength of the attraction or repulsion of two magnets towards one another depends on how close they are to each other and how strong the magnetic force is within the magnet. The further apart the magnets are, the less they are attracted or repelled to one another. The weaker the magnets are, the less they are attracted or repelled to one another.

What are some objects that a magnet will attract?

nailsother magnets (NS not SS or NN)iron objectssteel objectslodestonenickel objects

What are some objects that a magnet will not attract?

woodmost types of stonerubbercotton clothwoolsandstone

Can you think of others?

How are electromagnets made and used?

Magnets called electromagnets can also be made using electricity. A simple electromagnet is formed with a battery and copper wire coiled around a metal rod such as a nail. Adding electricity magnetizes the nail and creates a magnetic field around it.

How are electromagnets made and used?

Electromagnets must be connected to a battery or other source of electricity to work .

Connected electromagnet attracting many iron filings

Unconnected electromagnet.

How are electromagnets made and used?

Electromagnets are used widely today.

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