A force that pushes and pulls
Magnets can do strange things—that’s what makes them such fun to play
with. They can stick to each other. They can make nails or pins hang on
to each other, like people holding hands. They can even \”lead” each
other across a piece of glass. The magnet on top of the glass follows
the magnet you pull along under the glass.
A special force, or pull, makes a magnet work. The pull is strongest in
two places called poles—a north pole and a south pole.
Either pole of a magnet will hang on to iron and steel things, like pans
and pins. And either pole will hang on to one pole of another magnet.
The north pole of one magnet and the south pole of the other will pull
on each other and make the magnets stick together like best friends.
But magnets stick together only if the poles don’t match. If you put two
north poles or two south poles together, the magnets try to push each
other away!
Magnet power
You can use a magnet to make another magnet. First pick the pole that
you will use. Make sure you use only one pole.
Materials
• magnet
needle (large)
pins
wood (small piece)
Hold the needle in one hand. Rub the end of the magnet from the needle’s
eye to the tip. Always rub in only one direction.
After fifty rubs, test the needle to see if it has a pull. Will it pick
up a pin? How many pins will it hold? What will it stick to?
Rub the needle fifty more times to make the pull stronger. Then stick
the needle in a small piece of wood to make a boat.
Put your boat in a pan of water. Then use the poles of the big magnet to
push and pull the boat, so that it \”sails” across the pan.
