JOHNSON GRAMMAR SCHOOL

[Senior Secondary School Affiliated to CBSE]

Raghavendra Nagar, Nacharam, Hyderabad

LESSON NOTES

SUBJECT: SCIENCE TOPIC: Ls. 14 – MAGNETS GRADE:VI

I. CONCEPT MAP:

Natural and artificial

magnets

Demagnetization of
magnets
Magnetic substances;
Properties of magnets

MAGNETS

Uses of magnets Making of magnets;

Care of magnets

II. WORDPILE:
1. lodestone 6. neodymium
2. magnetism 7. resonance
3. cobalt 8. demagnetisation
4. repulsion 9. horseshoe magnet
5. alnico 10. hammering

III. DEFINITIONS:
1. Magnetism – The force that causes magnetic materials to either attract or repel
each other is called magnetism.

2. Magnetic substances – Materials that are attracted by magnets and can be

converted into magnets are called. Magnetic substances.
3. Non – magnetic substances – Materials that are not attracted by magnets are
called non – magnetic substances.

4. Magnetic force – The pull or push that is exerted by a magnet on magnetic

substances is called magnetic force.

IV. VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. Magnetic force can be exerted only on certain substances. What are these
substances called?
A. Magnetic force can be exerted only on magnetic substances like iron, nickel and
cobalt.

2. What is the pole of a magnet?

A. The regions of a magnet where the magnetic force is the strongest are called
poles of the magnet.

3. What are artificial magnets made of?

A. Artificial magnets are made by man out of magnetic substances like iron, nickel
and cobalt in desired shapes such as bar magnet, horseshoe magnet etc.

4. What do you mean by the directional property of a magnet?

A. The property of a freely suspended magnet to come to rest in the north – south
direction is called the directional property of a magnet.

5. Why is it said that ‘repulsion is the sure test of a magnet’?

A. Both poles of a magnet will attract a magnetic material. But, the like poles of two
magnets will repel each other. Hence, repulsion is a sure test for a magnet.

V. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. How can a magnet be demagnetised?
A. Magnets can be demagnetised by the following ways:
• heating the magnet
• hammering, dropping or rough handling of the magnet
• keeping two magnets side by side with the like poles near each other.

2. How should a magnet be stored?

A.
• Keep them away from mobile phone, televisions and computers.
• Bar magnets should be stored in pairs with their opposite poles lying side – by –
side.
• Store them with keepers between magnets.

VI. LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. Describe how you will prove the following experimentally.
[i] A freely suspended magnet always rests in the north – south direction.
[ii] The like poles of two magnets repel each other but unlike poles attract.
A.
• Take a bar magnet and suspend it by thin threads from a wooden stand. Gently
tap the magnet and wait till it comes to rest.
• Note the direction in which the magnet comes to rest.
• We will notice that the bar magnet always comes to rest in the north – south
direction.

• A bar magnet is suspended freely with the help of a string from a wooden stand.
• The north pole of another bar magnet is brought near the north pole of the
suspended bar magnet.
• The suspended magnet moves away. Similarly, when the south pole of the bar
magnet is brought near the north pole of the suspended magnet, repulsion takes
place.
• On bringing the north pole of the magnet close to the south pole of the
suspended magnet, the magnets move towards each other.
• This shows that like poles of magnets repel and unlike poles attract each other.
2. How will you convert an iron nail into a magnet?
A.
• Take an iron nail and place it on a wooden table.
• Stroke the iron nail with one pole [north pole] of a bar magnet in one direction,
about 50 times.
• Make sure that the pole of the magnet used and the direction of stroking do not
change. Then test whether the nail has become a magnet.
• It is found that the iron nail has become a temporary magnet with a north pole
and a south pole.

3. List six uses of magnets.

A. The six uses of a magnet are:
• Magnets are used in magnetic compasses which are used for finding directions.
It is generally used by sailors for navigation.
• Electricity meters, refrigerator doors and dynamos of bicycles and automobiles
use magnets.
• Nuclear magnetic resonance [NMR] imaging is used to study the brain.
• Magnetic strips are used in credit cards and ATM cards to store information.
• Magnets are used to pick iron pieces from junk yards.
• Magnets are needed for the functioning of speakers and microphones.

4. Explain how we should take care of a magnet.

A. To take good care of magnets:
• Avoid heating, hammering, dropping or rough handling of the magnet.
• Keep them away from mobile phone, televisions and computers.
• Bar magnets should be stored in pairs with their opposite poles lying side – by –
side.
• A piece of wood should be kept between magnets and keepers should be placed
across the poles.

VII. HOTS:
1. How will you find the poles of an oddly – shaped magnet?
A. Place the magnet of a piece of paper. Sprinkle some iron filings on the paper. The
iron filings will line up along the magnetic lines of force of the magnet. These
lines run from one pole to another.

2. You can find out which direction to walk in using the North Star as a guide.
What advantages does a magnetic compass have over this method?
A. On a cloudy night, it is difficult to spot the North star while a magnetic compass
can be used at any time of the day and irrespective of the conditions of the night
sky.

3. List at least 10 situations where magnets can be used for sorting or lifting
things.
A. Magnets to sort or lift things:
• To separate magnetic substances in a pile of mixed substances.
• To remove iron filings and similar substance from sand.
• To pick sewing needles from the floor.
• To separate metallic caps of soft drink caps from a pile at a vendors bin.
• Keep the metallic pins together on a desk.
• Spot pins and staples hidden on a bunch of papers.
• Cranes use magnets to move heavy iron bars and blocks.
• Large, powerful magnets are used to separate magnetic materials from waste.
• Magnets are used in the mining industry to separate metals from ores.
• Magnets are used to separate coins from other junk.

4. Take two toy plastic cars C1 and C2. Stick strong bar magnets on the roofs of
C1 and C2. The north pole of the magnet on C1 should point to the front of the
car and the north pole of the magnet on C2 should point to the back of the car.
Bring C1 near C2. What happens if the magnets are strong?
A. If the front of C1 is brought near the front of C2, it will rush towards C1 due to
force of attraction. If the front of C1 is brought near the back of C2, C2 repels and
keeps moving away.