All About Magnets What Are Magnets When you

All About Magnets

What Are Magnets? • When you think about magnets, you may think about the little plastic magnets on your refrigerator door at home. But magnets come in all shapes and sizes. Magnets are used many other places and do many different jobs!

What Do Magnets Do? • Magnets can be used to attract or repel other objects. Attract means to pull together, and repel means to force apart. • Magnets are used everyday to do many important things. For example, magnets are used to make electricity. Magnets are used in hospitals to take pictures of patients. Special trains that move very fast, are moved by magnets. Magnets are also used in toys and jewelry. Magnets are everywhere!

How Do Magnets Work? • Magnets have two different sides. The sides are called poles. There is a NORTH pole on one side, and a SOUTH pole on the opposite side. Every magnet will always have these two poles. • When you put opposite poles together (such as a NORTH and SOUTH pole) they will attract, or pull towards each other. • If you put two like poles together (such as NORTH with NORTH) they will repel, or push away from each other. • Pretend that your hands are magnets. Push your hands together. That is called attraction. Now, pull your hands apart. That is called repelling.

What Is A Magnetic Field? • The area surrounding each pole of a magnet is called the magnetic field. Magnetic forces can be detected when you put an object with iron near the end of the magnet and it’s magnetic field.

What Materials and Objects Do Magnets Attract? • Magnets will attract any object that contains iron. Iron is a metal that is found in the ground. Here are some examples of things that a magnet will attract:

Here are some objects that magnets will not attract. Teddy bears, pennies and crayons do not contain iron, nickel or cobalt in them.

Types of Magnets • There are three main types of magnets: • Permanent – These magnets keep their charge and never lose it. • Temporary – Temporary magnets will lose their charge, once they are taken away from the magnetic field. • Electromagnets – Magnets were the magnetic pull is created electronically.

How Does A Compass Work? • A compass is a small instrument that is used to help people know what direction that they are going. A compass uses a small magnet, called a needle, to help identify the direction. The needle will sense a pull from the Earth’s core. The Earth has iron inside of its core.

In Conclusion • Magnets are an important part of our daily lives. They help us to understand our world better, and help make our world a better place. How do magnets help us?