Energy and Change:
Magnets

Magnets push and pull other magnets and attract magnetic metals. The magnetic effect is a force. Magnets attract the metals iron, nickel and cobalt and their alloys. These are said to be magnetic materials. Magnets themselves are made from a material containing one or more of these metals.

The ends of magnets are called poles. When two magnets are held together it soon becomes clear that the ends are different. One end is called the north-seeking pole (N) and the other is called the south-seeking pole (S).

If a magnet is balanced on a string or placed on a 'boat' and allow to point in the directs it wishes to, the south-seeking pole (S) will point towards the South Pole of the Earth and the north-seeking pole (N) towards the North Pole of the Earth.

If two magnets are held with like poles together, north and north or south and south, the magnets push apart, they repel.

Magnetic pulling

Links:
Magnets and magnetism Magnetic fields Magnetic force and moving charge
The Earth and magnetism Making magnets

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