Magnets can do some 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 onto each other. They can even “lead” each other across a piece of glass. A magnet on top of the glass follows a magnet you slide 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.
Both poles of a magnet will hang onto iron and steel things, like pans and pins. And either pole will hang onto one pole of another magnet. The north pole of one magnet and the south pole of the other will pull on each other, and the magnets will 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!
See for yourself how things get magnetic power by making your own magnet. Touch a large metal paper clip to a small metal paper clip. What happens? Straighten one end of the large paper clip. Then stroke one end of a magnet down the length of the straightened part 50 times. Always use only one pole of the magnet and always stroke in the same direction. Touch the large paper clip to the small paper clip again. Now what happens?
Picture Credit : Google
