Magnetism

Magnetism is a non-contact force that pushes or pulls magnetic material.

These are called ferromagnetic materials. Steel is also magnetic as it

contains some iron.
Magnetic pole is region at each end of a magnet where the external magnetic
force is strongest.
The poles are called North pole (north-seeking pole) and South pole
(south-seeking pole).

Like poles repel and opposite poles attract

Is a piece of iron a magnet?

It will be attracted to a magnet. But will they repel each other? No!
If two metals repel they must have magnetic poles and so they must both be
magnets.

How to magnetise iron?

Inside a piece of iron each atom acts as a small magnet called a dipole.
They are grouped together in domains and each domain acts as a tiny magnet.
Domains

Domains in an unmagnetised piece of iron are arranged in random directions and

their effects cancel each other out.

When the iron is exposed to a magnetic

field, the domains line up in the direction
of the magnetic field. All the north poles
point in the same direction.
If you cut a magnet in half you will have
two magnets. Each magnet will have its
own north and south pole.

Iron is a soft magnetic material. It is easy to

magnetise but it loses its magnetism very easily.

Steel is a hard magnetic material. It is harder to magnetise but keeps its

magnetism (it is used to make magnets!)

Destroying magnetism Give energy to domains to move and revert back to a

random arrangement. The magnet becomes weaker if dropped or heated.
The magnetic field The space around a magnet where it can affect magnetic
materials is called the magnetic field.
The Earths Magnetic Field

The Earths inner core is molten and always spinning acting like a giant magnet
as shown in the left hand diagram above.
The magnetic north pole is 15

off the geographic north.

The north pole of a magnet will point to magnetic north.