Magnetism – what an attractive personality!
Magnetic forces create a field around the magnet. The iron filings sprinkled on a piece of paper placed over the magnet fall into a pattern of the energy force in the magnetic field.
Magnetism is a force we cannot see that pulls together or pushes apart objects.
All objects are influenced by magnetic fields. However, some materials are more affected than others. For instance, some metals such as iron and some steels can be visibly affected by objects with magnetic fields such as magnets.
Magnets have polarity. They each have a north pole at one end and a south pole at the other end. The magnetic force is energy moving in a field between these two poles.
Experiment – feel a magnetic field
Requires: two magnets
Hold a magnet in each hand and slowly move your hands close together.
If you are holding both magnets’ north poles towards each other, as they get closer together you will feel the magnets repel or push each other away.
If you are holding one magnet’s north pole and one magnet’s south pole towards each other, as they get closer they will attract or pull towards each other.
The push and pull force you feel is the energy of the magnetic field.
If you put the two magnets on a flat surface you can even push or pull one by moving the other towards it!
Experiment – magic movement
Requires: one magnet, one magnetic object (such as a metal paperclip) and a piece of paper
Place the magnet under the piece of paper. Place the paperclip or other magnetic object on top of the paper over the magnet.
When you slide the magnet sideways under the piece of paper the paperclip will move as well even though you are not touching it.
This shows how the magnetic field can pass through solid objects to exert a force.
Try replacing the paper with thicker objects and see if you can still hold and move the paperclip to see how strong a field your magnet can exert.