Togher N.S.

Worksheet
What will a Magnet Attract?
The Earth is a magnet. See how it works.

Make a jar compass with the materials provided.
Steps
1. Stroke the needle with the magnet to magnetise it.
2.Tie one end of the string to the small piece of card and the other to the pencil.
3. Push the needle half way through the piece of card so that it remains stuck in the card.
4. Suspend the piece of card inside the jar by lying the pencil across the mouth of the jar, so that the string is dangling. Do not allow the card to touch the bottom of the jar.
5. The needle should lie horizontally. You should try to get the middle of the needle to rest in the middle of the card. Place the compass near the jar.
6. Leave to stand freely and the needle should point in the same direction as the compass.

Did the needle face in the same direction as the compass?
Yes No


Lodestone (a magnet) was very useful to sailors when they needed to navigate. They discovered that when lodestone was hung on a string it showed a North South direction.

Worksheet
Magnetic Fields

A. Demonstrate a magnetic field.
1. Place the magnet on the table with paper placed on top.
2. Put the iron filings on the paper.
3. Move the paper over the magnet to see what happens.

Record what happens.

_____________________________________________________

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B. Use some pins to find out which part of the magnet attracts metal the best.
South North




Draw your answer on this magnet.

C. Investigate magnetic field and opposite poles of magnets.
Place the magnets on the table with the opposite poles about 5cm apart.
2. Place the paper on top and gently scatter iron filings on top of the paper.
3. Move the paper gently. Draw a picture with the iron filings.
Try this again with the same poles facing each other. Does the pattern of the iron filings look different?