Starter quiz
- Which of the following is the name of a device with a part that points north?
- a protractor
- a set square
- a compass ✓
- a sextant
-
- Which of the following is the name of the ends of a bar magnet?
- poles ✓
- nodes
- contacts
- axes
-
- How many poles does a bar magnet have?
- 1
- 2 ✓
- 3
- 4
- It can vary.
-
- Which of the following does a bar magnet have?
- east–seeking pole
- north–seeking pole ✓
- south–seeking pole ✓
- west–seeking pole
-
- What causes Earth's magnetic field?
- the water in the oceans
- the water in the atmosphere
- the air in the atmosphere
- the core of Earth ✓
-
- What direction does a compass needle point?
- north ✓
- south
- east
- west
-
Exit quiz
- Which of the following statements about a north–seeking pole are correct?
- it will point north ✓
- it will point south
- it will attract to the N–pole of a magnet
- it will attract to the S–pole of a magnet ✓
-
- Which of the following statements about a magnet is correct?
- it can have a single N–pole
- it can have a single S–pole
- it can have an N–pole and an S–pole ✓
- it can have an odd number of poles
-
- Which of the following will happen if a bar magnet is broken in half?
- there will be a piece with an N–pole and another piece with an S–pole
- there will be one piece with an N–pole and S–pole and one piece with no poles
- there will be two pieces with no poles
- there will be two pieces each with an N–pole and an S–pole ✓
-
What does the part of a bar magnet, shown in the image, do?- it seeks north ✓
- it seeks south
- it does not seek north or south
- it seeks both north and south
-
- Which of the following materials will block a magnetic field?
- plastic
- air
- iron ✓
- glass
-
- Which of the following elements are magnetic?
- iron ✓
- copper
- nickel ✓
- calcium
-
Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- All magnets have a north–seeking pole and a south–seeking pole.
- Unlike magnetic poles attract each other, and similar magnetic poles repel each other.
- Magnetic materials are attracted to both north–seeking and south–seeking magnetic poles.
- Just three metal elements (iron, cobalt and nickel) are magnetic; other metal and non–metal elements are not magnetic.
- A north–seeking pole will point towards the North Pole because Earth has a magnetic field.
Common misconception
All metals are magnetic and an object with a static electric charge is magnetic.
Provide opportunities for pupils to test some metals that are not magnetic, and a balloon with a static electric charge with a magnet.
Keywords
North–seeking magnetic pole - the end of a magnet that points to the north
South–seeking magnetic pole - the end of a magnet that points to the south
Attract - a force that makes things move together
Magnetic field - an area where a magnetic pole will align in a particular direction
Repel - a force that makes things move apart
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