Exploring Magnets, Class 6 Notes

Have you ever tried exploring magnets? Magnets are interesting items, which could draw some materials, such as iron and nickel and push others depending on the poles. The subject matter introduces you to the fundamental characteristics of magnets, their interactions and how they are used in everyday life. Since the discovery of the north and south poles, to the discovery of the earth as a giant magnet, these are the concepts in the basics of magnetism which are taught in NCERT Class science chapter Exploring Magnets.

What Are Magnets

Magnets are those materials that draw other materials such as iron, cobalt and nickel. Each magnet has two poles, the North pole and the South pole and regardless of the number of times you cut a magnet, you will always have the two poles. The principle that determines the magnetic behaviour is easy to remember: the opposite poles are attracted, and the same poles are repelled.

Magnetic Properties Explained

Given a freely suspended bar magnet, it is always positioned in the north-south direction due to the magnetic field of the Earth. The attraction between the poles is not constant - the attraction is the greatest at the ends (poles) and the least in the centre. That is why the number of paper clips sticking to the ends of a bar magnet increases in the course of experiments.

Earth as a Giant Magnet

The world is a big magnet in itself. The north-seeking terminal of a compass needle points to the geographic north pole, which in fact is the magnetic south pole of earth. Similarly, the geographic South pole is the North pole on the magnetic pole of the earth. This reversal can be used to explain compass navigation.

Everyday Use of Magnets

Magnets have applications in real life in holding, detecting, or attracting metallic parts. As an example, a screwdriver can be magnetised by a mechanic who rubbed the tool with a magnet, which ensures that the screws do not fall when one is working. The same laws of attraction-repulsion are also exhibited by ring magnets and magnetic toys.