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Magnets
Why do some things stick to the front of your refrigerator but others don’t? Why do
stick to the back of a car but others dont? The answer to both of these questions
Things
some
has to do with magnetism! A magnet is an object that has a magnetic force surrounding it. A
magnetic force is an invisible force that pulls in or pushes away other magnetic material,
When this happens, energy is transferred from one magnet to the other, The magnetic force
of the object that is sticking to the front of a fridge or the back of a car is pulling that object
close to the magnetic force of the car or fridge. Unfortunately, magnetism isn’t as simple as
each one has its own
just pushing out or pulling away. Magnets are like people
characteristics! Different magnets are attracted to different things, repel from different things,
and have varying levels of strength.
Despite their differences, all magnets share one thing in common they all have two
are the ends or the top and bottom of a magnet or an electromagnet where the
Poles
poles.
magnetic pull of the magnet is the strongest. Every magnet has two poles: a North Pole and a
South Pole. Even electromagnets have poles! The North and South Pole on a bar or a
horseshoe magnet is on each end of the magnet, while the poles on a donut magnet are
located on the top and bottom of the magnet.
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Certain poles do not like to be near each other. For example, if the South Pole of one
magnet comes close to the South Pole of another magnet, the two magnets will push away
from each other. This movement of pushing away from each other is called repelling. North
Poles work the same way they don’t like to be near each other and will cause the magnets
to repel if they get too close. Like poles repel like poles. When you think about two like poles
being near each other, think about having two bosses in a partner set it doesnt work out
very well!
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Some poles do like to be near each other, though. If the South Pole of one magnet
comes near the North Pole of another magnet, the two opposite poles will pull inwards
toward each other. This movement of pulling toward each other is called attracting. Opposite
poles attract. Attraction happens because the magnetic field likes to flow in one direction,
from the North Pole to the South Pole. So, when the North Pole of one magnet is next to the
South Pole of another magnet, the magnetic field is able to flow in the correct direction very
easily.
In addition to being attracted to other magnets, magnets also attract certain types of
metals. An example of a metal material that is attracted to magnets is a paper clip. Put a
paper clip near a magnet and you will see that the paper clip is attracted to the magnet.
However, if you try to use one paper clip to attract another paper clip, it won’t work! Paper
clips are not magnets themselves, but they are magnetic. There is a big difference between
the two! Magnets have their own magnetic field, whereas objects that are magnetic are
simply attracted to other magnetic fields. They do not have a magnetic field of their own,
though. The outside of a car or the door of a refrigerator are examples of magnetic objects
because they are attracted to magnetic fields, but are not magnets themselves. Iron, nickel,
Word count: 762
Lexile: 1040L
GRL: Y
©The Sweetest Thing
32
Magnets
and steel are three common me tals that re rna••gn.e tic, Put any of these metals near a
magnet and you will see that they are attracted to the magnet, but they cannot do any
attracting themselves.
Magnets vary in strength. Dent he fooled by the size of a magnet, though. because
biger magnets do not necessarily mean stronger magnets. The strength of a magnet is
determined by the amount of force ii uses to attract or repel objects around it. Do you
remember where the strength ot a magnet is greatest? At the poles! One way to test the
strength of a magnet is to see how many paper clips it can pick up. This is also an easy way to
compare the strengths of two or more magnets.
In the same way that different are both alike and different depending on how you
compare them, magnets are both similar and different from each other. All magnets have an
invisible magnetic field that attracts and repels other magnets and magnetic objects. All
magnets also have two poles: a North Pole amd a South Pole. Like poles (North and North or
South and South) repel, or push away from each other while opposite poles (North and
South) attract, Magnets are attracted to more than just ether magnets. Many metals are not
magnets, but they are magnetic. This means that they are attracted to other magnets but
they don’t attract anything themselves. Further, like people, magnets vary in strength. Can
you find any magnets near you that will attract paper clips? How many paper clips can your
magnet pick up? Try to explore for yourself!
Word count: 762
Lexile: 1040L
GRL: Y
©The Sweetest Thing
33