This document discusses different types of magnets including natural and artificial magnets. It describes the general properties of magnets including that they have two poles, north and south, and that like poles repel while unlike poles attract. It provides examples of applications of magnetism including maglev trains which use magnetic levitation to move fast without wheels. It discusses early discoveries about magnetism including how William Gilbert observed the Earth acts like a large magnet. It also explains how a smartphone can function as a compass using its internal magnetometer.