Magnet

Key Stage 1

Meaning

A horseshoe magnet

A magnet is an object that sticks to some metals.

About Magnets

Magnets are very useful. We can use them to stick notes to the fridge.

Key Stage 2

Meaning

A magnet is a piece of equipment that can be used to do determine if a material is magnetic.

Singular Noun: Magnet

Plural Noun: Magnets

Adjective: Magnetic

About Magnets

Magnets are attracted to some metals. Those metals are magnetic but they are not magnets themselves.

Magnets have two poles; North and South.

When two North Poles are placed next to each other two magnets will repel each other.

When two South Poles are placed next to each other two magnets will repel each other.

When the North Pole of one magnet is placed next to the South Pole of another magnet they attract each other.

Examples

Magnets are attracted to some metals. Those metals are magnetic but they are not magnets themselves.	Magnets have two poles; North and South.
Two magnets facing North-North will repel each other and two magnets facing South-South will repel each other.	Two magnets facing North-South will attract each other.

Key Stage 3

Meaning

A magnet is an object that attracts Iron, Cobalt or Nickel.

About Magnets

There are three types of magnet you should know:

• Permanent Magnets - These are magnets which have a permanent magnetic field which needs energy to be removed.
• Induced Magnets - These are magnetic materials which only become magnets when they are in the magnetic field of another magnet.
• Electromagnets - These are a coil of wire wrapped around a soft iron core. They only become magnets when there is a current passed through the coil of wire.

Magnets are attracted to some metals (Cobalt, Nickel and Iron). Those metals are magnetic but they are not magnets themselves.

Magnets have two poles; North and South.

When two North Poles are placed next to each other two magnets will repel each other.

When two South Poles are placed next to each other two magnets will repel each other.

When the North Pole of one magnet is placed next to the South Pole of another magnet they attract each other.

All magnets have a magnetic field around them which influences other magnetic materials.

Examples

The bar magnet is a permanent magnet.	This is a diagram of an electromagnet.

Key Stage 4

Meaning

A magnet is an object that produces its own magnetic field.

About Magnets

There are three types of magnet you should know:

• Permanent Magnets - These are magnets which have a permanent magnetic field which needs energy to be removed.
• Induced Magnets - These are magnetic materials which only become magnets when they are in the magnetic field of another magnet.
• Electromagnets - These are a coil of wire wrapped around a soft iron core. They only become magnets when there is a current passed through the coil of wire.

Magnets are attracted to some metals (Cobalt, Nickel and Iron). Those metals are magnetic but they are not magnets themselves.

Magnets have two poles; North and South.

When two North Poles are placed next to each other two magnets will repel each other.

When two South Poles are placed next to each other two magnets will repel each other.

When the North Pole of one magnet is placed next to the South Pole of another magnet they attract each other.

The Earth is a magnet as evidenced by a magnetic compass lining up North to South everywhere on Earth.

All magnets have a magnetic field around them which influences other magnetic materials.

A magnet is made of several small magnetic domains which are regions in the magnet which act as smaller magnets.

When magnetic domains are aligned the object has an external magnetic field so it acts like a magnet.	When the magnetic domains are not aligned there is no external magnetic field because the effect of the magnetic domains cancels out.

Examples

The bar magnet is a permanent magnet.	This is a diagram of an electromagnet.