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MAGNETS
The magnets that people discovered thousands of
years ago in nature were made of the mineral
magnetite. This mineral, which forms grayish-brown
crystals, is composed of iron and oxygen in a very
specific ratio. Magnetite is created naturally through
volcanic activity.
Today, magnets can be produced artificially from
compounds of the metals iron, nickel, and aluminum.
But there are also some magnets that contain no iron
at all.
A lot of materials and material mixtures have been
tested for their magnetic properties, and mixtures of
relatively rare metals have been discovered that can
make much stronger magnets than those found in
nature. Those magnets don't just attract iron, but
will also attract the rarer metals nickel and cobalt
almost as strongly.
PERMANENT MAGNETS possess a magnetic force
all on their own, and they retain it permanently. This
experiment kit has numerous permanent magnets in
different shapes, some with plastic coverings. These,
too, are produced artificially, so they are stronger than
natural magnetic rocks.
→ → → → → → ← ← ← ← ← ←
PERMANENT MAGNETS
magnetic force all on their own, and they
retain it permanently. This experiment kit
has numerous permanent magnets in dif-
ferent shapes, some with plastic coverings.
These, too, are produced artificially, so they
are stronger than natural magnetic rocks.
→ → → → → → ← ← ← ← ← ←
POLES
The locations where a
magnet's magnetic
force is strongest are
called its poles. Every
magnet has two of
them. In other
locations, its magnetic
force is much weaker.
One
pole is called
the south pole, while
possess a
the other is known as
the north pole. You will
find the corresponding
letters —
pole
pole
magnets.
N
for
North
and
S
for
South
— written on the
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