CBSE Class 6 Science Fun with Magnets Notes

Topics in the chapter

- What is a magnet?
- Types of magnets
- What is magnetism?
- What is magnetic field?
- Magnetic poles
- Properties of a magnet
- Uses of magnet
- Attraction and Repulsion

What is Magnet?

- A material or objects that have property of attraction or pull force for ferromagnetic materials like iron, cobalt, nickel etc. is called magnets.
- Magnets attract Ferromagnetic materials like Iron towards it.
- Magnets also attract and repel other magnets.
- Applications of attraction property of magnets in day to day life are – Refrigerator doors, pencil boxes or purses with magnetic closure buttons, iron separator from waste etc.

Types of Magnets

(i) Natural magnets: Those magnets which found naturally and have low magnetic power is called natural magnets.
Example: magnetite, lodestone.

(ii) Artificial magnets: Magnets which is made by humans and have a strong magnetic power with different shapes.
Example: iron, nickel and cobalt

Magnetic and non-magnetic material

(i) Magnetic material
- Materials which are attracted towards a magnet are called magnetic materials.
- Example: iron, nickel
(ii) Non-magnetic materials
- Materials which do not attracted towards a magnet are called nonmagnetic materials.
- Example: zinc, wood etc.

What is magnetism?

- It is a property of magnet in which magnet is attract things made up of Iron, Cobalt or Nickel is known as magnetism.

What is magnetic field?
- The area of magnet in which magnetic force is exerted to attract iron is known as magnetic field.

Magnetic poles
- It is end part of the magnet where the magnetic force is concentrated are called magnetic poles.
- Magnet has 2 poles.
(i) North Pole: When one pole of the magnet always points towards north. This is known as north-pole.
(ii) South Pole: When one pole of the magnet always points towards south. This is known as south-pole.

Properties of magnet

- Magnet attract magnetic materials
- Same poles repel each other, different poles attract each other
- The freely suspended magnet always rests in N-S direction.

Uses of magnet
- It is used in a compass to find the direction.
- It is used for lifting heavy masses of iron
- Used by surgeons to remove steel splinters from the wounds
- It is used in electric bells and telephones etc.

Finding directions using Magnet

- A freely suspended magnet always comes to rest in North- South direction. In olden days this property has been used to find directions.
- Compass is used to find directions.

Attraction and Repulsion
- Magnets attract iron but can attract and repel another magnet.
- Like or same poles of two magnets when brought closer, they repel each other.
- Example: South Pole of one magnet repels South Pole of other.
- Unlike or different poles of two magnets when brought closer, they attract each other.
- Example: South Pole of one magnet attracts North Pole of other.