Table of Contents
1. Fun with magnets (Part 2 - 6th Grade) -- Discovery, Magnetite, Magnetic Materials, and Poles
2. The Old-fashioned Magicians who Sailed by Magnetism
3. Tools of Today and Natural Pulls
4. Our Planet -- The Giant Blue Magnet Serving as Guide
5. Become a Scientist: Build Your Own Magnet
6. Protecting the Power of Your Magnet
7. The Basic Dance of Magnetic Forces
8. FAQs: Fun with magnets (Part 2 - 6th Grade) -- Discovery, Magnetite, Magnetic Materials, and Poles
9. Key Points/Key Summary of Magnetism
10. Conclusion: Science of Magnets by Nobel Learn

The Old-fashioned Magicians who Sailed by Magnetism

Magnets do not merely attract; they also point. The ancients seem to have sailed by means of magnetized stones designed as compass points. 

These points directed them to safe sailing through the seas, especially when they were a long distance from home in the wild open ocean. It was even more important at night, when the visibility may have been poor.

These stones had a significant role to play for their crews. And, they truly did make a difference in keeping them safe sailing upon the seas. Thus, it matters that our modern-day navigators begin to exercise these instruments and combine them with the technological advances.

Tools of Today and Natural Pulls

Nowadays, you can use electronic devices with magnetic power, such as global positioning devices, for example. Satellites orbiting the earth are used for a sure way to navigate by. Furthermore, we are using them for the purpose of navigation using magnetics! A GPS tells you where you are in real time. It does this using the same principles of magnetics.

Suppose you are locating yourself using a GPS, and it is not quite accurate. You can use the laws of physics or the theory of gravitation. Or any other principles of science like triangulating. This occurs when you compare all the data contained within that electronic device against other means of navigational aids. That way you derive where your actual movements began from and how fast they travel.

Earth’s magnets do exist, and therefore, if you would, you can navigate with them. Just take a bar magnet and hang it freely, and wait for it to spin till it stops. And one end will always naturally point north, for our North Pole is actually at the top of the earth. Conversely, the south pole is at the bottom.

When the animal kingdom is attracted to the poles, the animals are travelling along an invisible line. In fact, this invisible line is a guide for many species. Without the magnet we would lose ourselves at sea; result: it would also be extremely difficult to navigate!

Our Planet -- The Giant Blue Magnet Serving as Guide

The earth is like no other and hence, like a giant magnet. The north and south poles make an invisible force. With that force you have the compass directions. The north pulls you on to the north. So too the south pulls you on to the south around the world.

There are many birds and many other creatures that migrate thousands of kilometers. Strangely, they also have a “natural compass” to show them the way. 

Earth is magnetic and without the magnet, we are again lost and cannot find our way. Also, the magnet is our shield, our protection. 

In short, the natural guide is earth’s magnet-isn’t this amazing! How a Simple Needle Guides the Way and how are you going to know your way about? 

With a compass, a small round box that has a piece of glass as a "lid," we can understand the direction of poles easily. Inside the compass is a steel needle that has a hole in it. The needle is "magnetic" and spins freely because it is balanced on the point of a pin. This pin is in the center of the compass--showing the pole direction.

The end of the needle that is painted red is the direction of travel. It is where we read the compass. It tells you how to turn the compass. You do this so that the red end is pointing to the north. Now that you know where north is, you can find east and west.

In fact, it is amazing to know that the compass is the oldest way of navigation. In fact, over one thousand years ago the Chinese used compasses for navigation! 

These days we use the same concept in new tech (GPS systems) to navigate. However, the compass is still one of the best ways of navigation. Best aspect: this is since they do not need batteries. So, obviously, they will never run out of “power.”

Become a Scientist: Build Your Own Magnet

Can we make our own magnets--many may wonder? Of course, you can make a magnet! It is an easy and fun science project. You will need a bar of steel and a strong magnet. While you keep this magnet steady, put it at one end of the steel bar. Use the magnet to tie across the bar toward the other end. Do not lift the magnet off of the bar. You must keep it down as you pull the magnet to the opposite end.

Do this 50 times; after doing this you will have made a permanent magnet. You can use your new magnet to pick up paper clips or a nail. It works on many kinds of metal! You can make your own magnet at home by using a large nail. There’s nothing quite like the excitement of seeing a piece of paper clip stick to your magnet.

Protecting the Power of Your Magnet
Magnets can lose that special magnetic strength called demagnetizing. The main reason for demagnetizing is from the heat. It throws the atoms of the magnet out of alignment, and thus, they can turn misaligned.

You can also lose your magnet strength if you drop it from a high place. This usually happens on a hard floor. The shock can damage the magnet. The same goes for if you hit the magnet. It also happens if you hammer the thing with something hard.

You should keep each of your magnets in protective containers made of wood. Alternatively, put a piece of iron on top of the magnet to keep them together. Keep magnets away from televisions and cellphones. By using good care and being gentle, you will get the most life out of your magnets. This will keep them magnetic for a long time!

The Basic Dance of Magnetic Forces

All magnets attract or repel each other according to the laws of magnetism. Every magnet is factually known to have two poles (north and south). 

So, a magnet with a north pole will repel another north pole (two like poles); however, it will attract a magnet with a south pole (two unlike poles). When a north and a south pole come together, they form a strong bond.

If two north poles are brought together, they do not touch each other because they repel each other due to magnetic force. But if you turn one magnet over, the north pole will pull towards the south pole, creating a strong connection between the two magnets via their magnetic forces.

You can build things with magnets, such as a train or a toy. The connection between two magnets is called a magnetic bond; whereas, the separation of two magnets is called magnetic repulsion.

Have you ever wondered this: What happens if you break a magnet? The pieces of the magnet that are left over are also magnets. In fact, if a magnet is broken into pieces, it remains a magnet! That means every piece of that magnet is now a magnet.

That is because it has a north and a south pole. When you break a magnet, you do not lose its poles. Therefore, when you break a magnet into ten pieces, you will have ten complete magnets.

A magnet's two poles will never be separate. Poles will always come together as one and they exist together as a twin bond.

Just like magnets, everything in the universe is made up of pairs; even atoms have two poles. Magnets create a magnetic pair/bond between both items.

Magnetism is about two opposing forces working together; it is the fundamental force of nature. Gravity, electricity, and magnetism all have a magnetic component to each other. Therefore, anything that has a magnetic field will create its own magnetic pair through being attracted or repelling each other.

In conclusion, if you ever have any doubt about whether to use magnets or not, just remember that if you have two types of poles (north and south), you have a strong bond.

FAQs: Fun with magnets (Part 2 - 6th Grade) -- Discovery, Magnetite, Magnetic Materials, and Poles

Q1) What steps do I need to take in order to create a semi-permanent magnet from home today?
A1) The most effective method to create a semi-permanent magnet is utilizing an ordinary-sized iron bar. Then, repeatedly rub one edge of the bars with a handheld magnet. This will create multiple magnetized regions within that length of iron bar. Eventually, as you continue to rub, you will create enough magnetized areas within the iron. Then, they will gain the ability to hold onto their magnetic charge for a specified period of time until they lose all their magnetic charge.

Q2) What causes a temporary magnet to remain together?
A2) A temporary magnet remains intact due to both recombined attraction and repulsion ultimately working together as a single force of attraction and repulsion. Temporary magnets must always have at least one attraction (to) and one repulsion (from) force acting on top of each other. At the time of creation, at least one of these forces holds the magnet or magnets together, allowing them to continue operating as a single unit. This complete temporary magnet remains as long as they both continue to act against each other. Their magnetic properties will persist for a considerable time after each magnetic charge is removed or lost.

Q3: Why doesn't a temporary magnet remain attached for more than a very short time?
A3: A temporary magnet does not remain attached for a long time because of the equation of motion or forces of motion. This is due to the force of attraction & repulsion between two magnets acting on each other in space. This way they are connecting them together. You can use this to figure out when a temporary magnet will stop existing, as the amount of time before it stops existing becomes equal to the total amount of time it was used before it will cease to exist.
The duration a temporary magnet remains active is proportional to the total time it was previously used. Specifically, the magnet will cease to exist after a period equal to the overall time it was in use.

Q4: Why is it advised not to heat or drop a magnet on a hard floor?
A4: It is best not to drop a primary magnet (such as neodymium or ferrite) or heat one up because doing so will cause the magnet to lose its magnetic property and damage the internal structure of the magnet. The best way to keep the strength of your magnet is to understand how the magnet is constructed and the properties of the material used to create the magnet.

Q5: Can you think of a device that is used by sailors to find directions at sea?
A5: A sailor could use a sextant (magnetic compasses are instruments that sailors use to help find their way around a ship while at sea). Large needles inside these compasses freely turn and always point toward the North Pole, which is why sailors can always follow the same course during a journey across an open ocean.

Q6. Is it possible for a magnet to have only a north pole when you break it in half?
A6: No, you cannot break a magnet in half so that it will have only a "North Pole." When you break a magnet into 2 halves, you are creating 2 different, unique magnets. Each of these divided magnets will have both a north pole and a south pole.

Key Points/Key Summary of Magnetism
● Magnetic compasses give accurate navigation through their use of freely rotating needles that point to the direction the user is going. Hence, they will always know exactly where they are and how far from a particular destination they are.
● The Earth is a magnetic planet and has 2 magnetic poles, which all compasses around the world are pointing to or towards. The Earth has very large magnets for providing the globe with compasses, and these large magnets provide a consistent direction for compasses globally.
● Temporary magnets can be created using the stroking/touching method, which involves sticking the iron nail with the stroking/touching technique. When using this technique, you can see how magnetism works, and by using this technique, you will have a better understanding of how magnetism works.
● Magnets can easily lose their strength if subjected to shock (such as hammering, dropping them on a hard surface, or heating them). When using these methods, you must remember to take care of your magnet.

Conclusion: Science of Magnets by Nobel Learn

Once you understand how to navigate using your compass, you will understand the laws of attraction associated with magnets. Thus, you will have a better understanding of everything you see in your world and everything that is in our universe. As a result, you would start to appreciate your world even more.

A full understanding of these concepts is developed through the use of video and other educational tools and resources available through Nobel Learn. 

Nobel Learn provides its users with videos and other educational tools based on these concepts. Nobel Learn can also provide additional online education through its interactive video learning and e-learning platforms. These assistances are specifically designed to meet the various needs of students, educators, and institutions.