Magnetism: Answers

Name three elements which are magnetic.

Iron, cobalt and nickel are the three elements which have magnetic properties.

Explain the difference between permanent and temporary magnets.

Permanent magnets are made of magnetic materials and exert a attracting or repelling force on other magnetic objects.

Temporary magnets become magnetic when placed in a magnetic field but will lose their magnetism when removed from the magnetic field. They cannot repel other magnets.

In which direction do we draw magnetic field lines?

We always draw magnetic field lines from north to south.

Describe how you would use a plotting compass to draw magnetic field lines.

Place a bar magnet on a piece of plain paper along with a compass. Mark on the paper the direction that the needle of the compass points. Repeat several times, moving the compass to different places around the paper. Once lots of marks have been made, these can be connected by drawing lines between the marks.

Describe how you would use iron filings to draw magnetic field lines.

Place a bar magnet on a piece of plain paper along with some iron filings. The iron filings will align with the magnetic field to form a clear pattern. Using a pencil, draw the shape of the field lines shown by the iron filings.