Exploring Magnets: Class 6 Science · Chapter 4
Curiosity · Companion notes, simulations and practice · Official NCERT chapter PDF ↗
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What you will learn in Exploring Magnets
- Test everyday objects with a magnet and sort them into magnetic and non-magnetic materials
- Find the poles of a magnet and explain why every magnet has both a north and a south pole
- Use a freely hanging magnet or a magnetic compass to find north, south, east and west
- Make a working compass by magnetising a steel needle
- Predict whether two poles will attract or repel, and use repulsion to tell a magnet from plain iron
- Show that a magnet can act through wood, cardboard, plastic and glass
- Handle and store magnets so that they stay strong
Original companion text aligned to NCERT Science Class 6, Chapter 4, pp. 61–78. Not affiliated with or endorsed by NCERT.
Magnets all around us
Click! The flap of your school bag snaps shut all by itself. On a bumpy train ride, the counters of a travel ludo set stay put on the board. A bookmark clamps onto a page and never slips off. What is doing all this quiet work? Hidden inside each of these things is a magnet (चुंबक). Even the speaker of a radio has one!
2/2The hidden magnets show up: under a ludo counter, inside the bookmark, under the bag flap and behind the speaker cone.
Four objects stand in a row with labels below: a travel ludo board with round counters, a book with a bookmark clipped over its top edge, a school bag with a flap, and a small box speaker with two round cones. In the first step a heading asks where the magnets are. In the second step the objects fade and a small red-and-blue magnet appears inside each one, circled by a dashed ring: under a ludo counter, inside the bookmark, under the bag flap and behind the big speaker cone.
Where did the very first magnets come from? Nobody made them. They were dark rocks that tugged at bits of iron. We call these natural magnets lodestones. Then people discovered a trick: stroke a piece of iron with a lodestone, and the iron turns into a magnet too. You will try a similar trick in Activity 4.4. Today almost every magnet is made in a factory, from iron, steel or special mixtures of metals.
Magnets come in many shapes. The long, flat bar magnet is the lab favourite. There are also U-shaped magnets, flat ring magnets with a hole in the middle, discs, cylinders and even balls. You will meet some of them in Fig. 4.5.
4.1 Magnetic and Non-magnetic Materials
Will a magnet pick up a key? A coin? A gold earring? Many people guess that a magnet grabs every metal. Scientists do not just guess. They predict, then test, then record what really happens. Let us work the same way.
Look back at your table. Everything that jumped to the magnet had iron in it. So iron is a magnetic material: a material that a magnet attracts. Only a few other metals act like iron. The two to remember are nickel and cobalt. Many mixtures made with these metals stick too. Steel is the one you see most. It is mostly iron with a pinch of carbon, so most steel things stick.
Now look at the things that stayed put. Wood, plastic, rubber, glass, paper and cloth never move towards a magnet. They are non-magnetic materials. The big surprise is that many metals belong in this group too. Aluminium, copper, brass, silver and gold all ignore a magnet.
A material that a magnet attracts, such as iron, nickel, cobalt or most kinds of steel.
ExampleAn iron nail, a steel paper clip, a crown bottle cap.
A material that a magnet does not attract.
ExampleWood, plastic, glass, rubber, aluminium, copper, brass and gold.
3/3Sorted! Nail, clip and bottle cap are magnetic. Eraser, brass key and marble are non-magnetic.
A long red-and-blue bar magnet hangs above a row of six labelled objects on a table, each with a question mark: an iron nail, an eraser, a paper clip, a brass key, a bottle cap and a glass marble. In the second step the magnet moves down and the nail, the clip and the bottle cap jump up to stick to it, while the eraser, the key and the marble stay on the table. In the third step the magnet is back at the top and the objects are sorted into two dashed boxes: magnetic on the left with the nail, clip and cap, and non-magnetic on the right with the eraser, key and marble.
A bar magnet you can drag and turn above two rows of everyday objects: an iron nail, glass, aluminium foil, wood, a steel spoon, a paper clip, rubber, copper wire, plastic and a nickel coin. Magnetic objects jump to the magnet and stick; the others stay where they are. A switch shows iron filings around the magnet.
- Sweep the magnet slowly along the row. Which objects stick? Were any of them a surprise?
- Copper wire and aluminium foil are both metals. Do they stick?
- Switch on Iron filings. Where do the filings crowd together?
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- (A) an iron key ring
- (C) a steel safety pin
- (E) a nickel strip
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Answer False
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Answer (D) Steel is magnetic but aluminium is not
4.2 Poles of a Magnet
Does every part of a magnet pull equally hard? Here is a neat way to find out. You need tiny bits of iron called iron filings. Each bit is so light that even a weak pull can move it.
3/3Most filings crowd at the two ends, the poles. Only a few gather near the middle.
A sheet of pale paper with iron filings drawn as short dark dashes. In the first step the filings are scattered evenly over the paper, a label reads iron filings, and a red-and-blue bar magnet is held above. In the second step the magnet lies in the middle of the paper and most filings have moved to its two ends, where they stand out in bristly tufts. In the third step dashed circles highlight the two tufts, each labelled pole, and an arrow points to the centre of the magnet, where only a few filings are.
These strong spots near the ends are the poles (ध्रुव) of the magnet. A magnet always has two of them. One is its north pole (N) and the other is its south pole (S). Why north and south? Section 4.3 will tell you.
A place on a magnet where its pull is strongest. Every magnet has two poles, north (N) and south (S).
ExampleThe two ends of a bar magnet; the two tips of a U-shaped magnet.
Magnets of other shapes have poles too, but not always where you might expect. On a U-shaped magnet the poles are at the two tips. On a ring magnet or a disc, the poles are the two flat faces. Fig. 4.5 shows how filings find the poles of each shape.
3/3Each magnet has one north (N) and one south (S) pole, just where its filings gathered.
Four grey magnets stand in a row with labels below: U-shaped, ring, cylinder and ball. In the second step clumps of iron filings appear at the two tips of the U, with a few filings bridging the gap between the tips, above the top face and below the bottom face of the ring, at the top and bottom ends of the cylinder, and on the left and right sides of the ball. In the third step the pole regions turn red for N and blue for S and are lettered, while the filings fade.
Can a magnet have just one pole?
Suppose you snap a bar magnet in the middle. Will one half be a north-only magnet, and the other half south-only? No! Each half at once becomes a complete magnet with its own N and S. Break the pieces again and the same thing happens. Poles always come in pairs, however small the piece.
3/3Four little magnets, each with its own N and S: 8 poles in all.
A long bar magnet, red for N on the left and blue for S on the right, with a heading that counts pieces and poles. In the first step it is whole, with a dashed break line across the middle, and the heading says 1 piece, 2 poles. In the second step it has split into two pieces that move apart, each with a red N end and a blue S end, and arrows point to the new poles at the break: 2 pieces, 4 poles. In the third step there are four short pieces, each with N and S: 4 pieces, 8 poles.
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Answer (C) Many at each end and very few in the middle
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Answer 6 poles
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Answer True
4.3 Finding Directions
Imagine you are on a school trek in the hills. Thick fog rolls in and hides the Sun. Which way is the camp? You cannot see any landmark. A magnet can help you here. Let us find out how.
4/4The Sun rises on the east side, so the line runs north–south. The N end points north.
A view from above of a round patch of floor with a bar magnet hanging from a thread at its centre, shown as a small knot, with a label pointing to it from the lower left. In the first step the magnet points up and to the left at a slant, with curved arrows showing it turning. In the second step it has swung round and rests pointing straight up and down the picture, with N at the top. In the third step orange crosses and a dashed line mark where its two ends are. In the fourth step the directions N, S, E and W appear around it, with a rising Sun on the east side.
Now the names N and S make sense. Each pole is named after the direction it turns to face. The end that swings round to the north is the north-seeking pole, or north pole for short. Its partner always ends up facing south, so it is the south-seeking pole. A magnet that can turn freely never rests any other way: it always settles along the north–south line.
What turns the magnet? You cannot see it or feel it, but the whole Earth acts like one enormous magnet! Its pull lines up every magnet that is free to turn. A bar on a thread, a needle on a cork and the needle of a compass all end up pointing north–south.
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Answer north
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Answer (A) P is a magnet; Q is probably plain iron
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Answer (C) The Earth acts like a huge magnet
The magnetic compass
Carrying a stand and a hanging magnet on a trek would be awkward. A magnetic compass (दिक्सूचक) does the same job and fits in your pocket. Its heart is a thin, light magnet shaped like a needle. The needle sits on the sharp tip of a pin, so it can swing round easily. Its north end is usually coloured, often red. A card under the needle, called the dial, shows N, E, S and W. A clear lid keeps out dust and fingers.
4/4Now every mark on the dial is true. The gate lies to the east.
A round compass with a dial marked N, E, S and W and a needle with a red painted end on a central pin. In the first step the needle points at a slant and the dial is turned so that its N is off to one side, with a note to wait for the needle to stop. In the second step the needle points straight up the picture and a label points to its painted end, but the dial's N is still off to the right. In the third step a curved arrow shows the box being turned, and the dial's N now sits under the painted end. In the fourth step an arrow labelled East points from the compass to a gate on the right.
- Hold the compass flat, away from iron objects and other magnets.
- Wait for the needle to stop moving.
- Slowly turn the box until the N on the dial is just under the painted end.
- Now the dial is lined up with the Earth. Look along E to find east, W to find west, and so on.
Seen from above, a bar magnet hangs freely from a thread and swings until its N end points north. A small compass north of it points north too. You can drag the compass anywhere: close to the magnet the needle turns to follow the magnet's poles, and a readout says which way it points.
- Press Play and wait for the hanging magnet to stop swinging. Which way do its N end and the compass needle point?
- Drag the compass close to the magnet's N end, then round to its S end. What does the painted end do at each pole?
- Park the compass right beside the middle of the magnet. Does the needle still point north? So where should you never use a compass?
4/4It turns and settles along the north–south line. Your compass is ready!
All views are from above. In the first step a sewing needle lies on a table while a small magnet, S end down, slides along it from the eye to the tip; a dashed arrow shows the magnet being lifted and brought back, and a label says 30 to 40 strokes, one way. In the second step pins hang from both ends of the needle. In the third step the needle, pushed through a round cork, floats at a slant in a bowl of water. In the fourth step it has turned to lie straight up and down the picture, in line with an arrow marked N.
Stroking the needle in one direction magnetises it, which means it turns the needle into a magnet. Floating on water, the needle is free to turn. So it behaves just like the hanging bar magnet and settles north–south.
- Place the compass flat, away from iron
- Turn the box until N on the dial is under the painted end
- Wait for the needle to stop
- Read the directions from the dial
Show answer
- Place the compass flat, away from iron
- Wait for the needle to stop
- Turn the box until N on the dial is under the painted end
- Read the directions from the dial
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Answer (D) north
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Answer (A) It hardly becomes a magnet at all
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Answer False
4.4 Attraction and Repulsion between Magnets
Hold one magnet in each hand and bring them together. Sometimes they leap together with a snap. Turn one of them around, and now they push back, as if an invisible spring sat between them. Let us find the rule.
3/4B is turned round, so its S end faces A's S end: A glides away.
Seen from above, a rectangular tub of water holds a round plastic lid carrying bar magnet A, with N on the left and S on the right. Magnet B lies outside the tub on the right. In the first step B is faint and A is in the middle, with the words bring B near A. In the second step B's N end faces A's S end and A has floated right, towards B, with an arrow and the label pulled closer. In the third step B is turned so that its S end faces A, and A has floated left, away from B, labelled pushed away. In the fourth step B is replaced by a grey iron bar, A is turned round so that its N end faces the bar, and A has floated towards it, labelled pulled either way round.
Here is the rule. Attraction, a pull, happens between unlike poles: N and S. Repulsion, a push, happens between like poles: N and N, or S and S.
Two bar magnets, A and B, that you can drag and turn; B also has a flip button that swaps its poles. Arrows show whether the magnets attract or repel. You can also switch on iron filings or field lines to see the pattern around the two magnets.
- Slide B towards A, then press Flip B. What changes?
- Turn A with its ⟳ handle until A's S end faces B's S end. Predict first: will they pull or push?
- Switch on Iron filings. How does the pattern between the magnets change when you flip B?
Is it a magnet or just iron?
A piece of iron is pulled by both poles of a magnet. So if a bar sticks to your magnet, it could be a magnet, or it could be plain iron. Attraction cannot tell you which. Repulsion can, because only a magnet can push away a pole of another magnet. Repulsion is the sure test for a magnet.
Magnet or plain iron?
A magnet
- Attracts iron, nickel and cobalt
- Settles north–south when hung freely
- Repels one pole of another magnet
A plain iron bar
- Is attracted by both poles of a magnet
- Stops facing any way when hung
- Never repels a magnet
Puzzle: magnet or iron, with nothing else to help
Rohan has two bars that look exactly the same. One is a magnet and the other is plain iron. He has nothing else, not even a thread. How can he tell which bar is the magnet?
Try it yourself first. Then reveal the solution one step at a time.
3/3The S end comes near instead: the painted end is pulled closer.
A round compass with a dashed north line and a needle whose painted end is red, and a bar magnet lying to the upper right. In the first step the magnet is far away and the painted end points straight up, north, with a label. In the second step the magnet's N end has come close and the painted end has swung left, away from it, with a curved arrow and the words N near N: pushed away. In the third step the magnet's S end faces the compass and the painted end has swung right, towards it, labelled S near N: pulled closer.
2/4A wooden board stands between them. The needle stays turned.
A compass on the left with a dashed north line, and a bar magnet on the right with its S end facing the compass. The needle's painted end is turned towards the magnet in every step. In the first step there is nothing between them and a label says needle turned. In the second step an upright wooden board appears between them, in the third step a sheet of cardboard, and in the fourth a thin glass sheet; each time the label says still turned.
So a magnet's pull works through non-magnetic materials. That is how a fridge magnet holds a photo through paper. It is also how a magnet under a table can drag a clip across the top.
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Answer (1) repel, (2) attract
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Answer (C) P and R
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Answer False
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Answer (A) The painted end swings towards the magnet
4.5 Fun with Magnets
A magnet can make things move without even touching them. Isn't that a bit like magic? Here are some tricks for a rainy afternoon. Try them, then invent your own.
Now for a race with a twist. Tape a small magnet to the front of each of two toy cars, so that the same poles face each other. What happens when the cars meet? Watch Fig. 4.16.
3/4Let go and they roll apart, pushed by the like poles.
Two toy cars stand on a road facing each other, a green one on the left and a pink one on the right, each with a small red-and-blue magnet on its front and N marked on the front ends. In the first step they are a little apart. In the second step arrows push them close together. In the third step they have rolled far apart, with speed lines between them. In the fourth step the pink car's magnet is flipped so that its S end faces the green car's N end, and the two cars have rolled together until their magnets touch.
Taking care of magnets
Magnets can lose their strength if they are treated badly. Heat weakens them. So do hard knocks, such as dropping a magnet on the floor or hitting it with a hammer. Keep strong magnets away from phones, and from cards with a dark magnetic strip. A magnet can confuse a phone's compass and wipe the strip clean.
Magnets stay strong for longest when they are stored as a team. Stand two bar magnets side by side, pointing opposite ways, so that N sits next to S. Slip a strip of wood between them. Then bridge each pair of ends with a small bar of soft iron called a keeper. Fig. 4.17 builds this step by step.
3/3Two soft-iron keepers bridge the top ends and the bottom ends.
Two bar magnets stand upright side by side. The left one has N at the top and S at the bottom; the right one has S at the top and N at the bottom, under a heading that says unlike poles side by side. In the second step a wooden strip labelled wood slides down into the gap between them. In the third step two grey iron bars labelled keeper are laid across the top ends and across the bottom ends, touching both magnets.
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Answer (B) They push each other apart
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Answer (D) Unlike poles side by side, keepers across the ends
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Answer True
Words to remember
Exploring Magnets: key points and summary
- Magnets attract magnetic materials such as iron, nickel, cobalt and most steel. Wood, plastic, glass and metals such as copper and aluminium are non-magnetic (Section 4.1).
- A magnet pulls hardest at its two poles, north (N) and south (S), as the filings in Fig. 4.4 show (Section 4.2).
- Poles always come in pairs: every piece of a broken magnet has both N and S (Fig. 4.6).
- Magnets come in many shapes, such as bar, U-shaped and ring, and every one has two poles (Fig. 4.5).
- A magnet that hangs freely settles north–south, because the whole Earth acts like a huge magnet (Section 4.3).
- A magnetic compass uses a freely turning magnetised needle to find directions (Fig. 4.8).
- Stroking a steel needle many times in one direction magnetises it; floated on water it becomes a compass (Activity 4.4).
- Like poles repel and unlike poles attract (Section 4.4).
- Iron is pulled by both poles, so only repulsion proves that an object is a magnet (Magnet or iron?).
- A magnet's pull passes through non-magnetic materials such as wood, cardboard and glass (Activity 4.7).
- Heat and knocks weaken magnets; store them in pairs with keepers across the ends (Fig. 4.17).
Practice questions with answers (NCERT “Let us enhance our learning”)
Fill in the blanks.
Put the N end of one magnet next to the S end of another, and they each other.
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Answer attract
N and S are unlike poles, and unlike poles attract.A rubber eraser, a glass marble and a copper wire are all materials.
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Answer non-magnetic
A magnet does not pull rubber, glass or copper.Left alone, the painted end of a compass needle points towards the .
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Answer north
The painted end is the needle's north pole, so it points north.However many times you break a magnet, each piece has poles.
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Answer two
Poles always come in pairs, so every piece has an N and an S pole.
True or false?
If you cut a bar magnet in half, one half has only a north pole.
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Answer False
Each half gets both an N and an S pole.Two south poles pull each other closer.
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Answer False
Two south poles are like poles, so they repel.When a bar magnet is lifted out of a heap of pins, most pins hang from its two ends.
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Answer True
The pull is strongest at the poles, near the ends.A bar magnet hanging freely from a thread settles in the east–west direction.
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Answer False
It settles in the north–south direction.
Complete each line: what happens, or which pole is missing?
S facing S gives…
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Answer (B) repulsion
S and S are like poles, so they repel.N facing which pole gives attraction?
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Answer (B) S
Only an unlike pole, S, attracts N.N facing S gives…
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Answer (A) attraction
N and S are unlike poles, so they attract.Which pole facing N gives repulsion?
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Answer (A) N
Only a like pole, N, repels N.
Kavya lifts a bar magnet out of a tray of steel pins. She counts 12 pins hanging at the left end and only 1 in the middle. About how many pins are most likely hanging at the right end?
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Answer (B) about 12
Both ends are poles, and the two poles of a bar magnet pull about equally hard. So the right end holds about as many pins as the left end, around 12. The middle holds very few because the pull there is weak, so "about 1" describes the middle, not an end.Anil finds four bars, W, X, Y and Z, that look exactly alike. Three are magnets and one is plain iron. He tests them two at a time and notes: W and X push apart when held one way. Y and Z only ever pull together, however he holds them. W and Y push apart when held one way.
Which bar is the plain iron one?
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- W and X pushed apart. Only two magnets can repel, so W and X are both magnets.
- W and Y pushed apart, so Y is a magnet too.
- That makes three magnets: W, X and Y. So Z is the plain iron bar.
- This also explains why Y and Z could only ever pull together: a magnet always attracts iron.
Anil's friend says, "Y and Z pulled together, so Z must be a magnet." What is wrong with this idea?
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AnswerA magnet pulls plain iron too, so a pull cannot prove that Z is a magnet. Only a push can.
A pull happens between unlike poles, but it also happens between a magnet and a piece of plain iron. So when Y pulls Z, Z could be either. A push needs two magnets, which is why repulsion is the sure test for a magnet.
The N and S marks on Zara's bar magnet have rubbed off. She calls its two ends X and Y. She holds the marked S pole of a friend's magnet near end X, and end X is pushed away.
Which pole is end X?
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Answer (B) a south pole
An S pole pushes away only another S pole, so X is a south pole.Which pole is end Y?
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Answer (A) a north pole
The two ends of a magnet are always different poles, so Y is a north pole.Suppose end X had been pulled towards the marked S pole instead. What would X be then?
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We already know that Zara's bar is a magnet. Between two magnets, a pull happens only between unlike poles. The marked pole is S, so X would be N. To be extra sure, bring the S pole to the other end too: it should push that end away.
At a camp you find a bar magnet with no markings. You have some thread and a clear morning sky, but no other magnet or compass. How can you tell which end is its north pole?
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AnswerHang it freely; the end that settles pointing north is the north pole.
Tie the thread around the middle so that the magnet hangs level, away from iron objects. Let it settle: it will rest north–south. Face the rising Sun, which is roughly east; north is then on your left. The end of the magnet pointing that way is its north pole.
The north pole of a compass needle points towards the Earth's geographic north. Imagine the Earth as a giant bar magnet. Which kind of magnetic pole, N or S, must the Earth's magnet have near the geographic north? Explain.
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AnswerA south (S) magnetic pole.
Unlike poles attract. The N pole of the needle is pulled towards the north. So the Earth's magnet must have an S pole near the geographic north, and an N pole near the geographic south. Many people are surprised by this: near the place we call the North Pole, the Earth's magnet has its south pole.
Meena's steel sewing needle has rolled into a narrow crack between two floor tiles. Her bar magnet is too thick to fit into the crack. She also has a long, thin iron nail. Using what you learnt in this chapter, how can she get the needle out?
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AnswerTurn the nail into a magnet, then poke its tip into the crack to pick up the needle.
Stroke the nail 30 to 40 times with one pole of the bar magnet, always from the head to the tip. Lift the magnet away after each stroke, as in Activity 4.4. The nail becomes a magnet. Now slide its tip into the crack: the steel needle clings to it and comes out. Another way is to hold the bar magnet against the head of the nail. While they touch, the nail acts as a magnet, just like the paper-clip chain.
Ravi slides three ring magnets onto an upright pencil. The bottom ring rests on the table. The middle ring floats above it, and the top ring floats above the middle one. The top face of the bottom ring is its N pole.
Why does the middle ring not fall onto the bottom ring?
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AnswerThe faces of the two rings that face each other are like poles, so they repel.
The bottom face of the middle ring faces the top face of the bottom ring. The two push each other apart, so they must be like poles. This push holds the middle ring up against its weight.
Bottom face of the middle ring: . Top face of the middle ring: .
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Answer (1) N, (2) S
The middle ring is pushed up by an N face, so its bottom face is N (like poles repel). The two faces of a ring are opposite poles, so its top face is S.How can Ravi make the top ring sit on the middle ring without pushing it down?
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AnswerLift the top ring off, turn it upside down and slide it back on.
The top ring floats above the middle ring's S face, so its bottom face must be S. Turned upside down, its N face points down instead. N and S attract, so the top ring is pulled down and clicks onto the middle ring.
Three bar magnets are arranged in a U shape on a table, as in the figure, and they stay stuck at the corners. End 6 is marked N. Find the pole at each end. End 1: , end 2: , end 3: , end 4: , end 5: .
Fig. 4.18Three bar magnets in a U. Only end 6 is marked. Three grey bar magnets form a U shape. The left magnet stands upright with end 1 at the top and end 2 at the bottom. The bottom magnet lies flat, with end 3 at its left end touching the left magnet and end 4 at its right end touching the right magnet. The right magnet stands upright with end 5 at the bottom and end 6 at the top, which is marked N.
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- End 6 is N, so the other end of the same magnet, end 5, is S.
- End 4 touches end 5 and the magnets stay stuck, so they attract: end 4 is N.
- End 3 is the other end of the bottom magnet, so it is S.
- End 2 touches end 3, so it is N.
- End 1 is the other end of the left magnet, so it is S.
Which of these would a magnet not pull?
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Answer (C) a copper coin
Copper is a non-magnetic metal. Steel, iron and nickel are all magnetic.Pick every material that is non-magnetic.
Select all that applyShow answer
Answer- (A) wood
- (B) aluminium
- (D) glass
Wood, aluminium and glass are non-magnetic. Iron and nickel are magnetic.Put the steps for making a needle compass in order.
- Check that the needle now picks up pins
- Float the cork on water and let it settle
- Stroke the needle 30 to 40 times with one pole, one way
- Push the needle through a slice of cork
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Answer- Stroke the needle 30 to 40 times with one pole, one way
- Check that the needle now picks up pins
- Push the needle through a slice of cork
- Float the cork on water and let it settle
Magnetise first, test it, then mount the needle on cork and float it so that it can turn freely.Match each magnet with where its poles are.
Tap an item on the left, then its match on the right.
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Answer- Bar magnet : one pole at each end, far apart
- U-shaped magnet : both poles close together, at the tips
- Ring magnet : one pole on each flat face
The poles are where the pull is strongest. On a bar they are the two ends, far apart. On a U they are the two tips, close together. On a ring they are the two flat faces.
Find your NCERT exercise question
Our practice questions are written for ncert.ai and follow the NCERT exercises. Find the one that matches the question in your textbook; its answer is with it.
| In your NCERT textbook | Practice question here |
|---|---|
| NCERT Exercises Q1 | Practice Q1 |
| NCERT Exercises Q2 | Practice Q2 |
| NCERT Exercises Q3 | Practice Q3 |
| NCERT Exercises Q4 | Practice Q4 |
| NCERT Exercises Q5 | Practice Q5 |
| NCERT Exercises Q6 | Practice Q6 |
| NCERT Exercises Q7 | Practice Q7 |
| NCERT Exercises Q8 | Practice Q8 |
| NCERT Exercises Q9 | Practice Q9 |
| NCERT Exercises Q10 | Practice Q10 |
| NCERT Exercises Q11 | Practice Q11 |
Quick check: MCQs on Exploring Magnets
- 4.1 Magnetic and Non-magnetic Materials3 questions
- Can a magnet have just one pole?3 questions
- 4.3 Finding Directions3 questions
- The magnetic compass4 questions
- Is it a magnet or just iron?4 questions
- Taking care of magnets3 questions
Key terms (English–Hindi)
- attractionआकर्षणaakarshan
- A pull that draws two things together, as between unlike poles, or between a magnet and iron.First seen in the chapter →
- bar magnetछड़ चुंबकchhad chumbak
- A magnet shaped like a straight, flat bar, with one pole at each end.First seen in the chapter →
- iron filingsलोहे का बुरादाlohe ka buraada
- Tiny bits of iron, like coarse black dust, used to see where a magnet pulls hardest.First seen in the chapter →
- lodestoneप्राकृतिक चुंबकprakritik chumbak
- A rock found in nature that is already a magnet. People used lodestones long before magnets were made in factories.First seen in the chapter →
- magnetचुंबकchumbak
- An object that pulls things made of iron, nickel or cobalt towards itself. Every magnet has two poles.First seen in the chapter →
- magnetic compassचुंबकीय दिक्सूचकchumbakiya diksoochak
- A small device with a magnetised needle that turns freely and rests pointing north–south, used to find directions.First seen in the chapter →
- magnetic materialचुंबकीय पदार्थchumbakiya padarth
- A material that a magnet attracts, such as iron, nickel, cobalt or most kinds of steel.First seen in the chapter →
- magnetiseचुंबकित करनाchumbakit karna
- To turn a piece of iron or steel into a magnet, for example by stroking it many times in one direction with a magnet.First seen in the chapter →
- non-magnetic materialअचुंबकीय पदार्थachumbakiya padarth
- A material that a magnet does not attract, such as wood, plastic, glass, copper or gold.First seen in the chapter →
- north pole (of a magnet)उत्तरी ध्रुवuttari dhruv
- The end of a freely hanging magnet that turns to face north; also called the north-seeking pole (N).First seen in the chapter →
- poleध्रुवdhruv
- A place on a magnet where its pull is strongest. Every magnet has a north pole and a south pole.First seen in the chapter →
- repulsionप्रतिकर्षणpratikarshan
- A push that moves two things apart, as between two like poles.First seen in the chapter →
- ring magnetवलय चुंबकvalay chumbak
- A flat, round magnet with a hole in the middle. Its two flat faces are its poles.First seen in the chapter →
- south pole (of a magnet)दक्षिणी ध्रुवdakshini dhruv
- The end of a freely hanging magnet that turns to face south; also called the south-seeking pole (S).First seen in the chapter →
- U-shaped magnetनाल चुंबकnaal chumbak
- A magnet bent into the shape of the letter U, with its two poles at the tips.First seen in the chapter →