FUN WITH

MAGNETS
 INTRODUCTION
Magnets have become very common. These are used for magnetic
stickers, pin stands, toys with magnets, magnetic chess etc. Magnetic
stickers are used to hold memo-slip on the boards.
WHAT ARE MAGNETS?
A magnet is a rock or a piece of metal that can pull certain types of
materials (magnetic materials) toward itself.

Magnets are pieces of iron or other materials which exhibit the properties
of magnetism i.e. the ability to attract other objects that contain iron.
Compass needles, fridge magnets and MRI scanners are some common
examples of magnets.

The force of magnets is called magnetic force. It is a basic force of nature,

like electricity and gravity. This means that a magnet does not have to be
touching an object to pull it.
Magnets come in different shapes such as: horseshoe magnet, bar
magnet, cylindrical or a ball-ended magnet, needle magnet etc.
HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED AND NAMED
The word magnet comes from the name of the town
Magnesia, where first magnet was discovered, but
some people ascribe the name magnet to the name of
the shepherd boy Magnes.

THE STORY OF MAGNET

It is said that, there was a shepherd named Magnes, who
lived in ancient Greece. He used to take his herd of
sheep and goats to the nearby mountains for grazing. He
would take a stick with him to control his herd. The
stick had a small piece of iron attached at one end. One
day he was surprised to find that he had to pull hard to
free his stick from a rock on the It seemed as if the stick
was being attracted by the rock. The rock was a natural
magnet and it attracted the iron tip of the shepherd's
stick. It is said that this is how natural magnets were
discovered.
MAGNECTIC AND NON-MAGNECTIC SUBSTANCES
Magnetic substances : The material which get attracted towards a
magnet are called magnetic substance. E.g. iron, nickel or cobalt.
Alloys (combination of two or more metals) of above substances will
also get attracted towards magnet
Non- magnetic substance: The material which are not attracted
towards a magnet. E.g. plastic, leather or rubber.
Look at the last column of Table 13.1 and note the
objects that are attracted by a magnet
 ACTIVITY~1
Let us walk in the footsteps of magnes.
Only, this time, we will change the positions
of the magnet and iron. There will be
magnet the end of our shepherd’s stick. We
can attach a small magnet to a hockey stick,
walking stick or a cricket wicket with a
tape or some glue. Let us now go out on a
“magnes walk” through the stone
playground.
OBSERVATION : you observe that anything
made up of cobalt or iron or nickel will get
attracted to the magnet, because these all
are the compounds which are attracted by
magnet.
Boojho has this question for
you. A tailor was stitching
buttons on his shirt. The
needle has slipped from his
hand on to the floor: can you
help the tailor to find the
needle?
 ACTIVITY~2
Rub a magnet in the sand or soil. Pull out the magnet. Are there
some particles of sand or soil sticking to the magnet? Now, gently
shake the magnet to remove the particles of sand or soil. Are some
particles still sticking to it? These might be small pieces of iron
(iron filings) picked up from the soil.
 POLES OF MAGNET
◦ In activity~2 you observed that when the bar magnet was rubbed against
sand or soil some amount of iron filling was attached to the magnet, you
saw that iron fillings were attracted to the both sides of the magnet which
is known as poles. Maximum of the iron fillings are attracted on the poles.
◦ This is because near the poles the magnetic field of the magnet is very
strong.
◦ A magnet has two poles magnetic poles, they are located at the end on magnets. Namely
NORTH pole and SOUTH pole.
◦ The poles of a magnet occur in pairs and cannot be separated.
◦ Magnets exists in DIPOLE.
◦ MONOPOLES do not exist.

Same poles – repel

Different poles -
attract
 FINDING DIRECTION
Another great property of a magnet is that it can prove
extremely helpful in navigating directions. This is because a
freely suspended magnet always points in the North-South
direction.
This property of magnet is used to make a magnetic
compass(It is a device that is used by sailors and navigators etc
to find the direction).
A magnetic needle is placed inside a box with directions
marked on it. It is allowed to rotate freely so that when the
compass is kept at the position of rest, the needle points
towards the north and south direction.
Construction of a magnetic compass
◦ A magnetic compass consist of a flat circular case of aluminum or
glass top. A small, light, magnetized needle is pivoted at it’s center.
The north pole of this colored. The base of the case is marked with
direction.
◦ The north of the compass needle always point towards Earth’s
geographical North Pole. Therefore by observing the direction of
the needle one can find out the desired direction.
 Boojho has this
question for you.
What will happen
if a magnet is
brought near a
compass?
 ACTIVITY ~3
Take a bar magnet. Put a mark on one of its ends for identification. Now, tie a thread at the
middle of the magnet so that you may suspend it from a wooden stand. Make sure that the
magnet can rotate freely. Let it come to rest. Mark two points on the ground to show the position
of the ends of the magnet when it comes to rest. You are given two identical bars which look as
if they might be made of iron. One of them is a magnet, while the other is a simple iron bar The
chariot with direction A freely suspended bar magnet always comes to rest in the same direction
line joining the two points. This line shows the direction in which the magnet was pointing in
its position of rest. Now, rotate the magnet by gently pushing one end in any direction and let it
come to rest. Again, mark the position of the two ends in its position of rest. Does the magnet
now point in a different direction? Rotate the magnet in other directions and note the final
direction in which it comes to rest
An emperor in China named Hoang Ti. It
is said that he had a chariot with a statue
of a lady that could rotate in any
direction. It had an extended arm as if it
was showing the way . The statue had an
interesting property. It would rest in
such a position that its extended arm
always pointed towards South. By
looking at the extended arm of the statue,
the Emperor was able to locate
directions when he went to new places
on his chariot.
 ACTIVITY~4 How to make your own compass?
◦ Magnetize an iron needle using a bar
magnet.
◦ Now, insert the magnetized needle
through a small piece of cork or foam.
◦ Let the cork float in water in a bowl or a
tub. Make sure that the needle does not
touch the water (Fig. 13.12).
◦ Your compass is now ready to work.
◦ Make a note of the direction in which the
needle points when the cork is floating.
Rotate the cork, with the needle fixed in
it, in different directions.
 ACTIVITY-5 MAKE YOUR OWN MAGNET
Mark one end of a piece of steel and
place it on a wooden table :
◦ Take an Iron bar and a Magnet bar.
◦ Place one of the magnet’s pole at the
edge of the iron bar.
◦ Slide the magnet towards the other edge
of the iron bar without lifting the
magnet.
◦ Lift the magnet now and place at the
initial position again with same pole
touching iron bar.
◦ Repeat this process 30-40 times or more
till the iron bar becomes magnetized.
 Attraction and Repulsion
◦ Magnetic Force can be defined as the attractive
or repulsive force that is exerted between the
poles of a magnet.
◦ Opposite or unlike poles i.e. North and the South
Pole attract each and vice versa.
◦ Similar or like poles like north and north poles of
two magnets repel each other. Same is the case
with South poles of two magnets.
Paheli has this puzzle for
you. You are given two
identical bars which
look as if they might be
made of iron. One of
them is a simple iron bar.
How will you find bar.
Which is a magnet?
INTERACTION BETWEEN MAGNETIC POLES
Magnetic Force can be defined as the attractive or repulsive
force that is exerted between the poles of a magnet.
❖REPULSION IS A SURE TEST OF MAGNETISM :
◦ A magnetic substance is attracted by both the poles of a
magnet.
◦ Like poles of two magnets repel each other.
◦ Thus, a magnet always attracts a piece of any magnetic
substance and unlike poles repel.
TYPES OF MAGNET

TYPES OF MAGNET

ARTIFICIAL MAGNET
NATURAL MAGNET
WHAT ARE NATURAL MAGNETS?
Magnets are the substance which have the property of
attracting iron. In nature, certain rocks have the
property of attracting iron pieces. This are known as
the natural magnets.
◦ Magnetite is best known for its property of being
strongly attracted to magnets.
◦ Commonly known as Lodestone, this magnetic form
of Magnetite is the only mineral that is a natural
magnet.
◦ A lodestone is a naturally magnetized piece of the
mineral magnetite. They are naturally occurring
magnets, which can attract iron. The property of
magnetism was first discovered in antiquity through
Lodestone
lodestones
WHAT ARE ARTIFICIAL MAGNETS?
Artificial magnets are prepared using various processes with
the help of iron.
E.g. Bar, horse shoe, cylindrical, etc.
ARTIFICIAL MAGNET ARE OF TWO TYPES:
1) Permanent magnets : are usually made of the alloys
containing iron, such as steel, an alloy containing iron,
aluminum and cobalt
2)Temporary magnets (Electromagnets) : are made by winding
a coil of insulated copper wire around iron and passing
current through wire.
 A FEW CAUTIONS
Below are a certain conditions where a magnet may get damaged:
◦ Magnets lose magnetism when they are heated, hammered or dropped from some
height or kept near devices like computer , TV etc.
◦ Magnets become weak if they are not stored properly.
Magnets should be stored as mentioned below:
◦ Bar Magnets should be kept in pairs with their unlike poles on the same side. They must
be separated by a piece of wood while two pieces of soft iron should be placed across
their ends.
◦ For horse-shoe magnet, one should keep a piece of iron across the poles.