Make a list of all the things that you come into contact
with every day that use magnets. The pictures below will
give you some clues. You might like to share your ideas
with others and compile a class list.

Magnets that might be found at home

7 Forces in action 207

Like poles
repel.

Unlike poles
attract.
Magnetic fields
The metallic objects attracted to a magnet lie within
the magnet’s magnetic feld. The magnetic feld is the
area around a magnet where its magnetic force acts.
Although magnetic felds are invisible, we can
visualise what they look like by sprinkling iron flings
around a magnet. The iron flings line up along the
magnetic feld lines.

Iron flings sprinkled around bar magnets
The magnetic feld is drawn as shown in this
diagram. The lines show the direction of the magnetic
force. The lines are closest together where the magnetic
force is greatest and are furthest apart where the
magnetic force is weakest.

S N

The magnetic feld around a bar magnet
Just as iron flings align with the magnetic feld, the
needle of a compass lines up with the magnetic feld.
The north pole of the compass points in the direction
of a magnet’s magnetic feld.