The mystery of magnets

Have you ever stuck a drawing on the fridge with a magnet? Magnets seem like magic: they attract some objects without touching them. But there is a very interesting scientific explanation.

North and south poles

Every magnet has two ends called poles: the north pole and the south pole. A magnet is strongest at its poles. Even if you cut a magnet in half, each piece has its two poles again.

Opposite poles attract

If you bring two magnets close, you will notice something curious: the north pole of one pulls toward the south pole of the other, but if you bring two matching poles together, they push each other away. That is the rule of magnets: opposites attract and likes repel.

What does a magnet attract?

Magnets attract objects containing iron, such as paper clips or nails, and also some made of nickel and cobalt. They do not attract plastic, wood, glass or paper, nor gold, silver, aluminum or copper.

The magnetic field

Around every magnet there is an invisible zone, called the magnetic field, where its force acts. That is why a magnet can pull a paper clip without touching it. You can see it with iron filings on a sheet of paper with a magnet underneath: they line up in curved lines.

The Earth is a giant magnet

Our planet has a magnetic field, which is why compasses work. A compass needle is a small magnet that lines up with the Earth field and points north. For centuries, sailors and explorers found their way like this.

Magnets in daily life

Magnets are found in cupboard doors, loudspeakers, electric motors and many toys. Magnetic levitation trains even float above their tracks thanks to them.

Experiment: what does the magnet attract?

Gather objects from home: a spoon, a coin, a paper clip, a pencil, an eraser. Before bringing the magnet close, guess which ones will stick. Then test your guesses. This is how scientists work.

💡 The whole Earth is a giant magnet.