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What is a magnet made of, and how does it work?
Magnets that you see every day, like the kind people use on refrigerators, are usually
made of iron. Not all iron is magnetic, though. The difference between magnetized and
non-magnetized iron is in their magnetic domains. These are regions of atoms that all
have the same magnetic polarity (North-South alignment). You can think of them as
mini-magnets. In an unmagnetized piece of iron, the magnetic domains are all jumbled
up and pointing in different directions. That makes their magnetic fields cancel each
other out. But in magnetized iron, the magnetic domains are all lined up in the same
direction, so their fields amplify each other.
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If the earth is magnetic, how come magnets don’t go flying toward the
poles?
Earth’s magnetic field is strong enough to cause a floating magnetized needle to point
north—it’s not nearly strong enough to cause all magnets to go flying through the air
toward the poles!
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Why don't all metals stick to magnets?
Even though all metals are affected by being in the presence of a magnetic field, some
of them respond more dramatically and stick to the magnet. Metals like iron, nickel,
and cobalt become temporarily magnetic. In an unmagnetized piece of iron, the
magnetic domains are all jumbled up and pointing in different directions. That makes
their magnetic fields cancel each other out. But in magnetized iron, the magnetic
domains are all lined up in the same direction, so their fields amplify each other.
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What are the effects of a magnetic force?
The magnetic force attracts metals like iron, nickel, and cobalt to magnets. If the
magnetic force is strong enough, those metals are pulled toward the magnet. All
metals have arrangements of atoms inside them called magnetic domains. Usually, the
poles of these magnetic domains are jumbled up, but when a metal is acted upon by a
magnetic force, the poles line up and the metal becomes magnetic.
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I took a magnet and put it against the metal face of our dishwasher and the
magnet stuck. Then I turned over the magnet and it stuck to the metal on
that side too! Why didn’t the magnet repel on one of the sides?
The reason that both sides of the magnet are attracted to the metal is that metal has
magnetic properties, but is not a magnet. So when you put the north pole of a magnet
near the metal, the magnetic domains near the magnet line up to make that part of the
dishwasher into a south pole. When you place the south pole of a magnet near the
metal, the part of the metal near the magnet becomes a north pole. In magnets,
opposites attract. That's why the metal on your dishwasher is attracted to either side of
a magnet!
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What is geomagnetism?
Geomagnetism is the branch of science that involves magnetism of the earth. The
magnetism that pulls compass needles toward the magnetic north pole is caused by
currents of energy that flow beneath the surface of the earth, through the earth’s liquid
outer core. Imagine that the earth is like a hard piece of candy with multiple layers. At
different levels beneath the surface, different types of rock can be found. The
magnetized core and the magnetized layers closer to the surface all contribute to the
magnetic field or the 'main field' on the earth's surface.
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What is an electromagnet and how can I make my own?
An electromagnet is a magnet that requires an electric force to work. The
electromagnet was invented by William Sturgeon, a British electrician, in 1825. It’s
easy to make a simple electromagnet. All you need is a nail, some insulated wire, iron
filings or paper clips and a D battery. Ask an adult to help you wrap the insulated wire
around the nail, leaving enough at the top and the bottom to connect to a D battery.
Hold one wire on the positive pole of the battery and one on the bottom, at the same
time. This creates a circuit that electricity can run through. Now try picking up the iron
filings or paper clips! The electric current running through the wire created a magnetic
field that, while small because it was only from a D battery, was enough to pick up the
paper clips or iron filings. To make the electromagnet stronger, you would wrap the
wire more times around the nail. Using a different core will also make it stronger. The
last thing is that you can increase the current that flows through the wire to make it
even stronger!
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What’s the difference between a magnet and an electromagnet?
Well, there are three main differences between magnets and electromagnets. First of
all, electromagnets can be turned off. Because the magnetic field is created by an
electric current running through a wire, the magnetic field will disappear if the current
stops. Secondly, electromagnets can have their poles switched if the current switches
directions. Finally, an electromagnet can produce a stronger magnetic field if the metal
wire around it is coiled.
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How are magnets made?
Magnets can be made in a laboratory, but they also naturally exist on our planet.
Magnetite and lodestone are two naturally-occurring magnets. Steel, iron, nickel, and
cobalt can all be magnetized in a laboratory.
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What are the magnetic poles?
Earth’s two magnetic poles—northern and southern—are locations near the
geographic poles where the earth’s magnetic field points directly downward. The
needle of a compass always points toward the North Magnetic Pole.