Magnets have several key characteristics: - They attract certain metals like iron and steel but not all metals or non-metals. - The attraction is strongest at the poles or ends of the magnet. - When freely suspended, a magnet will orient itself along a north-south axis. - Like poles of two magnets repel each other while opposite poles attract.

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2. Questions to think about…
How do two
magnets interact?
What characteristics
do magnets have?
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3. Magnets
• Magnets are ‘special’ stones that interact with
some metals. They are known as natural
magnets.
• There are also man-made magnets which are
made of iron or steel.
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natural magnets

4. What characteristics do magnets
have?
• A magnet attracts an object when the
object is pulled towards the magnet.
What types of objects are
attracted to a magnet? Which
types are not attracted to a
magnet?
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5. What characteristics do magnets
have?
• Which materials are attracted to a
magnet?
o Objects made of metals like iron and steel
are attracted to a magnet.
o These are known as magnetic
materials.
iron nails
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6. What characteristics do magnets
have?
• Which materials are attracted to a magnet?
o Not all metals are magnetic. They are called non-
magnetic metals.
o Metals like gold, aluminium, silver and copper
cannot be attracted to a magnet.
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Coins made of
non-magnetic
metals cannot
be attracted to a
magnet.

7. What characteristics do magnets
have?
• Which materials are attracted to a
magnet?
o All non-metals such as plastic, wood, paper,
glass and clay cannot be attracted to a
magnet.
o These materials are called non-magnetic
materials.
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8. What characteristics do magnets
have?
• Which part of a magnet is the
strongest?
o The attraction of a magnet is
strongest at its ends.
o The ends of a magnet are called
its poles.
The paperclips
are mostly
attracted to the
poles of the
magnet.
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9. What characteristics do magnets
have?
• Finding the North-South direction
o What happens if you allow a magnet to turn
freely?
• When a magnet is allowed to turn freely, it will
come to rest in the North-South direction.
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This magnet comes to
rest in the North-South
direction when allowed to
turn freely on a floating
piece of styrofoam.

10. What characteristics do magnets
have?
• Finding the North-South
direction
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This magnet is
suspended by a thread
and allowed to turn freely.
It will eventually come to
rest in the North-South
direction.

11. What characteristics do magnets
have?
• Finding the North-South direction
o The pole pointing to the North is called the
north-pole.
o The pole pointing to the South is called the
south-pole.
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north-pole south-pole

12. How do two magnets interact?
• What happens when the north-poles of
two bar magnets face each other?
o The north poles of the magnets push each
other apart.
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The same thing happens
when the south-poles
face each other.
When two like poles are
brought together, they
push each other away.
This shows that like
poles repel.

13. How do two magnets interact?
• What happens when the north-pole of a
magnet is brought near the south-pole of
another magnet?
o The poles of the magnets are pulled together.
o This shows that unlike poles attract.
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