- Attract - To draw to itself or oneself; to pull something with an invisible power. Magnets attract objects made of iron or steel. Opposite poles of magnets attract (i.e. south poles of magnets attract the north poles of other magnets).
- Compass - a device used by travelers to find their way. It has a swinging needle that always points north. The north-seeking pole of the compass needle always points to the magnetic north pole of the earth, thus giving the direction of north from which other directions can be figured-out.
- Earth's Geographic Poles - Poles or points of the earth's axis on which the earth spins.
- Electromagnet - is a coil of wire around an iron bar which acts as a magnet when electric current flows through the wire.
- Electron - is a tiny particle which carries electricity
- Floppy Disk - is a disk coated with magnetic material on which information can be stored.
- Force - is the strength or power to make something move
- Induction - temporary magnetism produced when a metal or iron object touches a magnet. Induction is increased if you stroke the object repeatedly against the magnet.
- Keeper - is a small piece of metal that stops a horseshoe magnet attracting things when not in use - this prolongs the life of the horseshoe magnet.
- Like poles - poles with a similar charge repel each other; unlike poles attract each other.
- Lines of Force - the lines around a magnet that show the magnetic field.
- Lodestone - a type of rock that is a natural magnet.
- North Magnetic Pole - the S-pole end of the earth's magnetic field which lies near Prince of Wales Island in northern Canada. It is presently 1700 km from the geographic north pole and continues to shift its position over time. Because it is the S-pole of the earth's magnetic field, it attracts the north-seeking pole of a bar magnet.
- Magnet - any piece of iron or certain other materials that has the property to attract similar material. The most strongly magnetic substance is iron, whereas nickel & cobalt are much weaker magnetic materials. The strongest magnets are made of alloy containing aluminum, cobalt, nickel, and iron.
- Magnetic - having the properties of a magnet. The ability to be magnetized, particularly iron, and to a much lesser degree, nickel and cobalt.
- Magnetic Domain - the organization
of billions of atoms that have their electrons all spinning in a similar direction
creating a magnetic field. See the movie!
- Magnetic Field - the invisible
pattern of the magnetic forces generated by a magnet. This pattern can be demonstrate
simply by sprinkling iron filings on a sheet of paper or glass lying on top
of a bar magnet. How can you destroy a magnetic field? See the movie!
- Magnetic Poles - regions of greatest attraction on a bar magnet which tends to be at the two ends. Poles exist in pairs in a magnet, always one north and one south pole will be present. If a magnet is broken in half, each half will then have two poles: one north and one south.
- Repel - to drive or force back. Like poles of magnets repel (i.e. the north pole of one magnet repels the north pole of another magnet and similarly for south poles of two magnets).
- South Magnetic Pole - the N-pole of the Earth's magnetic field which lies near the margin of Antarctica south of New Zealand. It is not directly opposite the north magnetic pole but instead is about 2400 km away from the geographic south pole.
- Temporary Magnet - Substances which can be induced to become magnetized in a magnetic field are called ferromagnetic. Soft ferromagnetic materials become demagnetized spontaneously when removed from a magnetic field and are called TEMPORARY MAGNETS. Hard ferromagnetic materials can retain their magnetism, making them useful in the production of PERMANENT magnets. See the movie!
- Unlike poles - poles with an opposite charge attract each other; like poles repel each other.
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