Magnets

Magnetism is a force all around us.  It cannot be seen but the way it acts can be seen.  Magnets exert a force of attraction on anything made of iron.  Anything made of iron will be attracted to a magnet.  A magnet will often not attract things that are not made of, or do not contain iron.  However, scientist have developed and discovered materials that are non-ferrous (no iron) that will act as magnets and be attracted to magnets.

Look at the magnet above.  It is called a bar magnet.  It has two ends.  The end labeled N means north.  The end labeled S means south.  These two ends are the magnetic poles.  The force of a magnet is strongest at the poles.  If you tie a string to the middle of a bar magnet, the north end will point north and the south end will point south.

The earth is like a giant magnet!  The magnetic fields surrounding earth are near the North Pole and the South Pole.  That is why the poles or ends of a bar magnet are called north and south.

Look at the magnets below.  The south pole of a magnet attracts the north pole of another magnet.

Repel means "push away" or "push apart."  Look at the magnets below.  The north pole of the magnet repels the north pole of the other magnet.

Try it yourself! Get two bar magnets and experiment with them.

Directions: Answer the questions about magnetism.