Who discovered the magnet?
According to a legend, the first magnet was discovered by a Greek shepherd named Magnes. It is said that the nails in his shoes and the iron tip of his staff got stuck to a large black rock on which he was standing. Greeks named this strange type of rock ‘magnetite’. The Chinese also knew about magnets. Ancient Chinese sailors used magnets for navigation.
How do they make a magnet?
Magnets are made of materials that attract objects made of certain substances like iron, cobalt, and nickel. Magnets come in various shapes and sizes. They can be found as horseshoe, ring, cylindrical, or bar shape.
Not all objects are attracted to magnets. Objects that are attracted by a magnet are said to be magnetic, e.g., iron and nickel. Objects that are not attracted by a magnet, are said to be non-magnetic, e.g., wood and plastic.
POLES OF A MAGNET
When magnetic materials (like iron filings) are brought close to a magnet, they do not stick evenly to all parts of the magnet. They stick more on certain parts of the magnet. These are called the poles of the magnet. Magnetic forces are the strongest at the poles. For example, the two ends of a bar magnet are its poles.
There are two types of poles in every magnet, irrespective of its shape. These are, by convention, called the North Pole (N) and the South Pole (S). The two poles cannot exist independently. That is, they always come in pairs.
If we break a bar magnet in the middle, we would get two pieces, each having a North Pole and a South Pole. We could go on breaking the magnet into smaller pieces, and everytime we would get both the poles in each piece.
People also ask
- How does a magnet work?
- What are the Different Types of Magnets?
- Is an electromagnet a temporary or a permanent magnet?
- What is the use of magnet?
- How does an electric bell work using electromagnets?
- What is the Magnetic Field?
- Factors Affecting the Magnitude of the Force on a Current-carrying Conductor
- What is magnetic force on a current carrying conductor?
- What factors affect the strength of an electromagnet?
- How does a current carrying conductor produces a magnetic field?
- What Is Magnetic Effect Of Electric Current?
- Oersted Experiment on Magnetic Effect of Current
- How do you Determine the Direction of the Magnetic Field?
- What is the Meaning of Magnetic Force?
Activity
Aim: To find the poles of a magnet.
Materials needed: Iron filings (powdered iron), a magnet, a small sheet of transparent polythene, and a sheet of white paper.
Method:
1. Spread the iron filings on a sheet of white paper.
2. Wrap the magnet in the polythene sheet and run it through the iron filings.
Observation: Most of the iron filings will stick to two portions of the magnet.
Conclusion: The two portions of the magnet where most of the iron filings stick are the poles of the magnet.