Q: What is a magnet?
A: A magnet is an object that can attract certain metals like iron, nickel, and cobalt.
Q: Name the two ends of a magnet.
A: The two ends are called the North Pole and the South Pole.
Q: Which metals are attracted to magnets?
A: Iron, nickel, and cobalt.
Q: What do we call the force with which a magnet attracts objects?
A: Magnetic force.
Q: What is the region around a magnet where it shows its effect called?
A: Magnetic field.
Q: Can a magnet attract wood or plastic?
A: No, magnets do not attract non-metals like wood, plastic, or rubber.
Q: What happens if you break a bar magnet into two pieces?
A: Each piece will become a new magnet with its own north and south poles.
Q: Which pole of a magnet points towards the Earth’s north direction?
A: The north pole of a magnet.
Q: How many poles does a magnet have?
A: Always two – North and South.
Q: What will happen if we try to put the same poles of two magnets together?
A: They will repel each other.
Properties of Magnets
Q: State one property of magnets.
A: Unlike poles attract each other, like poles repel each other.
Q: Can magnets lose their magnetism?
A: Yes, if heated strongly or hammered repeatedly.
Q: Why do compass needles always point north-south?
A: Because the Earth itself acts like a giant magnet.
Q: Which part of a magnet is the strongest?
A: The poles.
Q: Can a single magnetic pole exist?
A: No, poles always exist in pairs.
Q: What is the Earth’s magnetic south pole close to?
A: Near the Earth’s geographic north pole.
Q: How can you make a magnet weaker?
A: By heating, dropping, or hammering it.
Q: How can you make a magnet stronger?
A: By stroking it with another magnet in one direction.
Q: Which shape of magnet is used in a crane to lift heavy objects?
A: Electromagnets.
Q: What is the difference between temporary and permanent magnets?
A: Temporary magnets lose magnetism quickly; permanent magnets retain it for a long time.
Uses of Magnets
Q: Name one use of magnets in daily life.
A: They are used in refrigerator doors to keep them shut.
Q: How are magnets used in medicine?
A: In MRI machines to scan the inside of the body.
Q: Why are magnets used in speakers?
A: To convert electrical energy into sound.
Q: How do train engines like Maglev work on magnets?
A: They use powerful magnets to float above the tracks, reducing friction.
Q: Why are magnets used in credit cards?
A: The magnetic strip stores information.
Q: Name a household item that uses an electromagnet.
A: Electric bell.
Q: How do scrap yards use magnets?
A: To separate iron objects from waste.
Q: Why are compasses useful for sailors?
A: They help in navigation by showing directions.
Q: What is stuck on fridge doors with small magnets?
A: Notes, reminders, or decorative magnets.
Q: Can magnets be used to generate electricity?
A: Yes, in generators.
Q: What is lodestone?
A: A naturally occurring magnetic stone.
Q: Who discovered that Earth behaves like a magnet?
A: William Gilbert.
Q: What do we call a magnet shaped like a horseshoe?
A: A horseshoe magnet.
Q: Why is a horseshoe magnet stronger than a bar magnet?
A: Because its poles are closer together.
Q: How can you test if an unknown object is magnetic?
A: By bringing a magnet close to it.
Q: Why can’t aluminium be picked up by a magnet?
A: Because it is not a magnetic metal.
Q: Which planet in our solar system has the strongest magnetic field?
A: Jupiter.
Q: What happens when iron filings are sprinkled around a magnet?
A: They arrange themselves along the magnetic field lines.
Q: Why do magnetic field lines never cross each other?
A: Because at one point a compass needle cannot point in two directions.
Q: What will happen if you put a magnet in fire?
A: It will lose its magnetism.
Q: Why are magnets kept away from mobiles and computers?
A: Because they can damage the stored data.
Q: If a magnet attracts a nail, what can we say about the nail?
A: It is made of iron or steel.
Q: Can magnets work in water?
A: Yes, they can attract magnetic materials even through water.
Q: Why does a magnet get weaker over time?
A: Due to vibrations and external influences like heat.
Q: What is meant by magnetic levitation?
A: Floating of an object using magnetic repulsion.
Q: Which side of a compass needle points to the north?
A: The red colored side.
Q: Why are soft iron cores used in electromagnets?
A: Because they can gain and lose magnetism easily.
Q: Why does the Earth have a magnetic field?
A: Because of the movement of molten iron inside its core.
Q: What is the difference between a bar magnet and an electromagnet?
A: A bar magnet is permanent, while an electromagnet works only with electricity.
Q: If two bar magnets are placed one above the other with like poles facing, what will happen?
A: They will repel, and the top one may float for a moment.